Science of Volcanic Activity Prediction

Manmade explosions, dislocation of segments of the crust or volcanic eruptions are all triggers for an Earthquake; however, most are caused by a slippage of faults. A fault is a fracture in the Earths crust along which two blocks of the crust have slipped within one another. These faults are grouped into three categories (normal, thrust and strike-slip) and are located all over the Earth. In North America there is a very large fault that runs through California that separates the North American plate and the Pacific plate. The afore mentioned fault is called the San Andreas fault and is approximately 1300 kilometers long and a great source for Earthquakes and activity.

Due to this, the study of volcanoes and the service that volcanologists provide to the public by way of information and predictions on activity is immeasurable. Named for the Roman god Vulcan, volcanoes have both intrigued and frightened mankind for centuries. Human like footprints dating back 300,000 years have been found in the solidified lava of Roccamonfina volcano in Italy (Onion, 2013). These footprints, called the "Devil's Trail" appear to indicate that these ancestors were escaping an eruption. In Turkey, a 9,000 year old painting depicting a volcanic eruption was discovered in 1964 during an excavation of Catalhyuk (Oskin, B., 2012).

Volcanoes Volcanoes are natural phenomena which are on the Earth’s surface through which molten rock and gases escape from below the surface (Tarbuck, 139). These volcanoes are very interesting to observe and to study because of their amazing occurrences and majestic lava eruptions. Volcanoes have been studied ever since the beginning of mankind and the word “volcano” is thought to be derived from Vulcano, a volcanic island in the Aeolian Islands of Italy whose name in turn originates from Vulcan, the name of a god of fire in Roman mythology. Consisting of several types, volcanoes can extrude several forms of magma and can also release multiple gases. These extruded materials can affect the Earth’s structure and atmosphere.

Crater Lake is constructed of different types of volcanic rock, has been a part of different eruptions and has had much activity since it was once Mount Mazma. Due to the volcanic threats that are still provided from the lake and its surrounding cinder cones, hazard mitigation, monitoring and monitoring is vital to nearby locations. All of these important topics will be discussed further in the continuing paragraphs. Geological History: Before Crater Lake was indeed Crater Lake, it was once a 12,000 foot high stratovolcano known as Mount Mazma. Mt.

Below is a picture of Mauna Loa taken from a bird's eye view. Volcanoes can cause damage by spewing lava, but earthquakes before the eruption can also cause damage. These earthquakes open fissures and let magma out to the surface. When the magma exits these fissures, streams of lava up to hundreds of feet can shoot into the air. The picture below shows the lava erupting from the fissures created by the earthquakes in... ... middle of paper ... ...a volcano.

There are also more explosive volcanic eruptions in which the gas pressure builds until it is extremely high and the viscuous lava can no longer stand i... ... middle of paper ... ...because these volcanoes are located in different areas of the world or because El Nino occured during the year of the eruption of El Chichon. All of these evidences are still being compiled and scrutinized in order to verify the true relation between volcanic eruptions and climate change. Works Cited: Angell, James. "Stratospheric Warming Following Volcanic Eruptions." http://capita.wustl.edu "The Effects of Volcanic Eruptions on Earth's Climate."

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.

Tornadoes in the Midwest, hurricanes along the Gulf Coast or earthquakes in California are all hazards that residents in those regions accept and live with. This paper will examine one hazard that caused a disaster requiring a response from emergency management personnel. Specifically, the hazard more closely examined here is an earthquake. With the recent twenty year anniversary covered by many media outlets, the January 17, 1994, Northridge, California earthquake to date is the most expensive earthquake in American history. Earthquakes Before examining the Northridge event, understanding the naturally occurring hazard that is an earthquake will help to better understand exactly what happened and why it was such an important geological event.

Ever think about ways the world could end, such as black holes or aliens? Most of the ideas thought of come from somewhere in the universe, but the most likely cause is right here with us, on the earth. Super volcanoes, as scientists describe, are “a volcanic eruption where more than 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma is expelled. "(Science World) The first time I learned about supervolcanoes was in geoscience class this year. We watched an entire three period video on Yellowstone.

The Geological Event of Volcanic Eruptions and the Disasters they Cause In this report I plan to discuss the geological event of volcanic eruptions and the disasters they cause. To me, this is a fascinating topic and timely seeing how the 19th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens is upon us. I hope to inform people of the mass destruction that is caused by the eruption of a volcano. The scope of my report will be limited to: 1) describing what comes out of a volcano, 2) explaining the seven different types of volcanoes, 3) explaining the five types of volcanic eruptions, and 4) explaining the disasters they can cause people.