Volcanoes have been around for many centuries and will continue to exist for many more to come. Many people have their ideas of what they believe volcanoes are. Most believe that it is basically a mountain that shoots out lava, destroying anything and everything nearby. This assumption is actually proven accurate. Volcanoes are considered one of the most dangerous natural disasters; they can erupt suddenly, destroying everything in its way. People tend to be so afraid of volcanoes that most of them don’t realize that there is one concept far more terrifying than just a volcano: a super volcano. Most have never even heard of them, but it has been proven that they are much worse than just normal volcanoes. Super volcanoes are known for being larger and more powerful than your typical volcano. According to National Geographic Magazine, a super volcano is a term used which describes explosions with exceptional violence and volume. The USGS states within the magazine article that super volcanoes are known for ejecting more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of pumice and ash. Super volcanoes are known to be approximately ten times larger and more powerful than an average volcano. This magazine also makes a known analogy that compares volcanoes and super volcanoes in a better perspective. It states that “volcanoes form mountains, super volcanoes erase them; Volcanoes kill plants and animals for miles around; super volcanoes threaten whole species with pure extinction by changing the climate across the entire planet. In order to assess the meaning of a super volcano, we must look at the different impacts it can have on the climate, how they are known for flaring up, the most current form of measurement, and even a little bit of history to compl...
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On May 22, 1915, an explosive eruption at Lassen Peak devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash farther 200 miles to the east! This explosion was the most powerful in a series of eruptions from 1914 through 1917. ...
These differences are in the makeup of the volcano, the impact on society, and the eruption itself. Mount Saint Helens, used to be a wonder of the world, but now a damage site of what happened on May 18, 1980. Mauna Loa is a tourist destination and one of the most active dispensers of lava and magma in the world. As shown, these volcanoes can’t be more different. Yet, each volcano has been a culprit to destruction, and have similarities within themselves. This report has expressed many similarities and differences and brought facts and knowledge to the historical eruptions by these impressive and ancient structures of
Approximately 50 million years ago, at the end of the mountain building process that formed the Rocky Mountains; a magma-f...
Boom! A once ice-capped mountain peak explodes as ash fills the air. “‘Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!’”Those were the last words of expert geologist David Johnston (Gunn 561). In 1980, Mount Saint Helens of the state of Washington erupted, filling the air with ash and causing mudflows powerful enough to lift tons. It decimated everything in its path. The eruptions, mudflows, and ash caused great damage on the landscape, yet it gave us information on how catastrophes happen and how they affect society and the surrounding landscape. The data acquired can also help us understand the way the landscape was formed. Mount Saint Helens caused much damage, but also helped people understand the science behind it.
Volcanism is a major part of the Galapagos and their formation. The island chain is positioned on the Nazca Plate, which is subducting beneath the South American Plate at a geologically rapid pace of 2.5 inches per year. In addition, this Nazca Plate is located directly on top of the Galapagos Hotspot. It is here that mantle plumes melt Earth’s crust, creating volcanoes as a product. The oldest island was first shaped by this ...
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2. The ratio of drama to documentary in Supervolcano was probably 80:20. Although there was factual evidence presented in the film, it seems as though it was manipulated to fit the plotline, and did not actually coincide with any scientific theory. It could easily be construed that the normal fluctuations at Yellowstone are indicators of looming volcanic activity, but those fluctuations have also happened throughout history without consequences. The film, however, noted this fact and stated through the characters that the prediction of a volcanic event is never concrete or dependable. I feel the producers of this film created a successful docudrama in that they were able to present scientific information in a dramatic sense; making the film more widely acceptable.
The earliest outcropping volcanic deposits date back to about 25,000 years ago. The lavas observed at a -1125 m bore-hole are about 0,3-0,5 million years old. It is known for the first eruption of which an eyewitness account is preserved, in 79 AD. Geologically, Vesuvio is unique for its unusual versatility. Its activity ranging from Hawaiian-style release of liquid lava, fountaining and lava lakes, over Strombolian and Vulcanian activity to violently explosive, plinian events that produce pyroclastic flows and surges.
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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).