EOSC 114 Natural Disasters

Volcanoes
with
Lindsey Abdale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ah8MjczuHf8
 Volcanoes
• Lecture 1 – Volcanology Overview

• Lecture 2 - Types of volcanoes & Eruptions

• Lecture 3 – Volcanic Explosivity

• Lecture 4 –Volcanic hazards

• Lecture 5 - Volcano monitoring and predicting eruptions

 Learning Goals
① Distinguish between lava flows, fire fountains, lava bombs,
volcanic ash, pyroclastic falls and pyroclastic flows in terms of
the materials they are made from, how they behave, and how
they are formed.
② Use analogies with common materials to explain in your own
words how volcanic explosivity is controlled by two
characteristics of magma.
③ Explain the effect that erupting under water has on the
explosivity of an eruption.
④ Apply the VEI scale to any given potential volcanic event to
predict the size of the associated explosive eruption.
⑤ Use descriptions, examples, and maps to help your friends or
family imagine the “size”, volume and impact of a VEI 8
eruption.
Volcanic Eruptions

Two main styles:

① EFFUSIVE – outpouring of
molten magma from the vent
→ lavas

② EXPLOSIVE – gas driven

violent eruptions →
pyroclastic deposits
Primary Volcanic Processes
EFFUSIVE
Passive eruption of magma
① Lava flows (mafic-intermediate)
② Lava domes (felsic-intermediate)
③ Gravitational collapse of lava flows/domes –
pyroclastic flows

Photovolcanica, Pacaya Volcano

Guatemala
Primary Volcanic Processes
EXPLOSIVE
1) Buoyant eruption column
of ash
2) Pyroclastic airfall
3) Pyroclastic flows (column
collapse)
4) Blocks and bombs
proximal to vent

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/
cvo/hazards.html
 Pyroclastic fall
1) Eruption columns: 10’s of km’s
2) Widespread distribution of ash in the downwind
direction
3) Ash blankets topography

Galunggung,
Photo: Y. Demyanchuk /
Indonesia (1982)
KVERT
 Pyroclastic fall

Pinatubo, Philippines (1991)

Galunggung, Indonesia (1982)

 Pyroclastic Flows

• Gas-pyroclast mixtures

• Gravity-driven flows.

• Flow down slope, channelled in valleys

• Velocity = 40 to >400 km/h!

• Temperatures = 100 - 600oC

 Pyroclastic Flows

Pinatubo, Philippines (1991) Unzen, Japan (1993)

USGS Mayon, Philippines (1984)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvG_N7eqMWk
The key to explosive volcanism:

Gas Content + Melt Viscosity

 Which conditions most favor explosive
eruptions ?

A. Low viscosity & high gas content

B. High viscosity & low gas content
C. High viscosity & high gas content
D. Low viscosity & low gas content
Why gas matters:

① Magmas produce bubbles (gas

exsolves) during ascent

② Bubbles expand as the

magma rises (lower P)

③ Foaming à Explosivity*
* Depends on:
① amount of bubbles
② rate of rise
③ bubble retention
FOAM
Courtesy: Genevieve Robert, 2008
 More about explosivity…
1) Viscosity and Gas Content are very important in
determining the eruption style (explosive or effusive)
2) As magma risesà pressure decreasesà bubbles
begin to form **But viscosity fights bubble growth!
3) Pressure rises inside the bubbles until the strength of
the liquid magma is overcomeà Fragmentation
occurs!
4) Pyroclastic material (tephra) is produced
Explosive bursting of bubbles

Bubble wall shards in volcanic ash

 Explosivity

Volcanic plume

PUMICE

ASH USGS

MSH 39 km from volcano

Fragmentation
Outgassing

Bubble growth
Exsolution surface
Magma with (bubble nucleation)
dissolved volatiles Saturation surface

A. Bain

Magma reservoir
 Magma fragments and freezes to form
pyroclastic ash
When liquid magma containing dissolved gas is suddenly decompressed
during an eruption, gas bubbles expand rapidly and blow up the liquid
magma, which freezes in mid air to form ash particles

Ash particle
USGS

Mt. Pinatubo (1991)

USGS

Ash Pumice
 What type of volcano will produce the
MOST explosive eruptions ?

A. Shield volcano
B. Cinder cone
C. Stratovolcano
D. Caldera
 Explosivity End-Members
REMEMBER!
Mafic → low gas content + fluid → quiet Felsic → high gas content + gooey →
(effusive) eruptions! explosive eruptions!
Gas escapes, pressure released = Safe Gas kept under increasing pressure =
(ish) Dangerous

Photo credits: USGS

Photo credits: USGS
 Why does HIGH viscosity promote high
explosivity?

A. because gas content decreases viscosity

B. because gas content increases viscosity
C. because bubbles cannot easily escape from highly
viscous magma
D. because highly viscous magma lets gas escape
E. because highly viscous magma lets bubbles grow
Explosive eruptions

Cas and Wright, 1987

1. Hawaiian
Low viscosity basaltic magma
Low explosivity (effusive!)
- Lava flows
- Fire fountaining

USGS, Kilauea lava lake

1. Ash plume
2. Lava fountain
3. Crater
4. Lava lake
5. Fumaroles
6. Lava flow
7. Layers of lava and ash
8. Stratum
9. Sill
10. Magma conduit
11. Magma chamber
12. Dike
Wikipedia
2. Strombolian
• Basaltic/andesitic magma
• Mildly explosive
• Bombs, lavas

Wolfgangbeyer, Wikipedia

1. Ash plume, 2. Lapilli

2. Volcanic ash fallout
3. Lava fountain
4. Volcanic bomb
5. Lava flow
6. Layers of lava and ash, 7. Stratum
8. Dike, 9. Magma conduit
Wikipedia 10. Magma chamber, 11. Sill
 3. Vulcanian
• Viscous andesitic/rhyolitic
magma
• Very explosive!
• Sustained explosions of ash

Tavurvur volcano, Rabaul Caldera, Papua New Guinea

1. Ash plume
2. Lapilli
3. Lava fountain
4. Volcanic ash fallout
5. Volcanic bomb
6. Lava flow
7. Layers of lava and ash
8. Stratum
9. Sill
10. 10. Magma conduit
11. Magma chamber
12. 12. Dike
Wikipedia
 4. Plinian
• Andesitic/rhyolitic ash
• Violently explosive!!
• Large, sustained column of
ash
• Pyroclastic flows

R. Clucas, Mt. Redoubt, Alaska, 1990

USGS
1. Ash plume
2. Magma conduit
3. Volcanic ash fallout
4. Layers of lava and ash
5. Stratum
6. Magma chamber

Wikipedia
 Types of eruptions

Hawaiian Strombolian Vulcanian Plinian

USGS USGS USGS Photo 1902 USGS

Mafic Felsic
Low viscosity High viscosity
Low gas content High gas content
SAFE…(ish) DANGEROUS!
 5. Phreatomagmatic
• Contact between water & magma
• Water flashes to steam
• Violently explosive
• Surtseyan and Phreatoplinian

NOAA

1. Water vapor cloud

2. Compressed ash
3. Crater
4. Water
5. Layers of lava and ash
6. Stratum, 7. Magma conduit
8. Magma chamber, 9. Dike
Wikipedia
 What does adding a little water to the
mix do to the explosivity of an eruption?

A. Decreases it due to rapid cooling of the magma

B. Increases it due to rapid cooling of the magma
C. Decreases it due to vaporization of the water
D. Increases it due to vaporization of the water
 Eruption Size: VEI scale (0 - 8)
Volcanic Explosivity Index
describes the size of an explosive volcanic eruption

Key characteristics that define VEI include:

① Volume of ash produced
② Height of eruption cloud above the vent
③ Duration of eruption

*In the 0 to 8 scale of VEI, each interval represents an increase of a factor of ten.
An eruption of VEI 4 is 10 times larger than a 3 and one hundred times larger than a 2.

• Logarithmic scale
• Mainly depends on total volume erupted explosively
• Increase in 1 unit = 10 times more volume erupted
 MIC

MSH
Pinatubo

USGS Yellowstone
 A shield volcano is about to erupt. What is the
expected value for the Volcanic Explosivity Index?

A) About 0 or 1
B) About 2 or 3
C) About 4 or 5
D) About 6 or 7
E) More than 8
What does the VEI look like?

VEI 5 Plinian, e.g. Mt St Helens

VEI 3
Vulcanian
e.g. Montserrat

VEI 1
Hawaiian
 Ash from a VEI 8 eruption
Vancouver

YELLOWSTONE N.P.
Yellowstone caldera

Long Valley caldera

NEW
ORLEANS

Keller et al.
 many
every
year

several every
decade

several every
1,000 yrs

1 or 2 every
1,000,000 yrs

USGS
 How much more volume does a VEI 8 eruption
release than a VEI 6 eruption ?

A) 2 times
B) 10 times
C) 20 times
D) 100 times
E) 200 times
For your viewing pleasure:

Anak Krakatoa, Indonesia 2010 (subduction zone volcanism)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXzQT52Sdec

Mt. St. Helens, USA (Stratovolcano)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H_HZVY1tT4&feature=related
Next class…

……Volcanic Hazards
 Volcanoes
• Lecture 1 – Volcanology Overview

• Lecture 2 - Types of volcanoes & Eruptions

• Lecture 3 – Volcanic Explosivity

• Lecture 4 –Volcanic hazards

• Lecture 5 - Volcano monitoring and predicting eruptions