Essay On Volcanic Erupts

Since the beginning of modern science, volcanoes have drawn the attention of scientists around the globe. However, it wasn’t until about 25 years ago that our understanding of the physical and chemical processes that drive volcanic eruptions increased drastically. Due to our advances in geochemical and petrological sciences, we have been able to more accurately conclude as to why and how a volcano erupts. As a generalization, volcanologists primarily focus on the science behind how magma forms and moves to Earth’s surface, and how the specific chemical properties of magma (and the lithosphere though which it moves) contribute to eruptive activity. Volcanic ash is also significant in the volcanology, differing slightly with each eruption. Different eruptions possess different properties, such as composition and thickness of the erupting magma, the force of the eruption, and what gases are present, that make each eruption unique (3).

Magma

In order for a volcanic eruption to occur, a substance known as magma must be present. Magma often collects in magma chambers (directly below the volcano) that feed a volcano. Magma consists 96% of molten, or liquid, rock, due to the extremely high temperatures (1300 °F to 2400 °F) located in the Earth’s mantle(4). This molten rock contains very many solids known as “rock forming silicate minerals,” such as carbon, iron, silicon, aluminum, and magnesium, as well as many others. While a large portion of magma is made up of these substances, magma also contains various volatiles that play an extremely vital role in a volcano’s eruption. Volatiles are substances with low melting points that are released as a liquid or gas when an eruption occurs, such as water, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide ...

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Each aspect of a volcanic eruption plays a significant role when observing the various chemical properties of a volcano. Each phase (magma’s ascent into the magma chamber in the upper crust, migration toward Earth’s surface, eruption, and volcanic plume) requires a specific chemical balance in order to occur. However, although each volcanic eruption is chemically similar, each one is miraculously unique. These complex interactions only fuel the need for continued advances in our understanding of both the physical and chemical aspects of the entire volcanic eruption sequence. Volcanoes are destructive yet beautiful landforms beckoning to be explored by today’s and tomorrow’s volcanologists and geochemists. Although volcano science has exploded in the past 25 years, there are still vast amounts of information to be learned about the chemistry of volcanoes.