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LESSON 1

What is a volcano?
A volcano is a landform (usually a mountain) where molten rock erupts through the surface of the planet. In simple terms a
volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of a molten rock (magma) below the surface of the earth. It is a hole
in the earth from which the molten rock and gas erupt.

Volcanoes form when parts of the Earth’s solid mantle melts to form pockets of hot liquid rock called magma. This magma
collects in large pools deep underground known as magma chambers. As more and more magma is added to the magma
chamber, the pressure increases and causes the rock around the magma chamber to crack. The hot liquid magma which
is lighter than the surrounding rock, is forced upwards through the cracks in the crust and erupts on land through volcanic
vent.
Volcanoes have distinctive features:

MAGMA CHAMBER - this is where the molten rock is stored


beneath the ground.

MAIN VENT - this is the channel through which magma travels


to reach the Earth's surface.

SECONDARY VENT - some magma may escape through the


side of the volcano, particularly if the main vent becomes
blocked.

CRATER - this is found at the top of the volcano, where the


magma erupts from

MAIN FEATURES OF A VOLCANO


MAGMA -molten rock beneath Earth’s surface
PARASITIC CONE -a small cone- shape volcano formed by accumulation of volcanic debris.
SILL -a flat piece of rock formed when magma hardens in a crack in a volcano.
VENT -an opening in the earth’s surface through which volcanic materials escape.
FLANK- the side of a volcano
LAVA- molten rock that erupts form a volcano that solidifies as it cools.
CRATER – mouth of a volcano, surrounds a volcanic vent.
CONDUIT an underground passage magma travel through.
SUMMIT the highest point, apex.
THROAT entrance of a volcano. The part of the conduit that ejects lava and volcanic ash.

PARTS OF A VOLCANO

What are the types of volcanoes according to structure?

Individual volcanoes vary in the volcanic materials they produce and this affects the size, shape and structure of the
volcanoes. There are three types of volcanoes based on structure: cinder cones (also called spatter cones), composite
volcanoes (also called strato volcanoes) and shield volcanoes.
COMPOSITE OR STRATO

Tall, symmetrical shaped and can rise up 8,000 -10,000 feet. Its explosion emits gases, ash pumice, silica lava (called
rhyolite) and deadly mudflows (lahar).

Magma inside a composite volcano is rich in silica and much thicker than magma from a shield volcano.
Gases get trapped inside this thicker magma.

Composite volcanoes have much steeper slopes than shield volcanoes.

Mt. Fuji in Japan, Mayon Volcano and Mt. St. Helens in the USA are examples of composite volcanoes.

SHIELD VOLCANO

Big that emits basaltic (very fluid) lava has long lasting mudflows, erupts gently and minimal.

They have low slopes and large crater at their summits with flat round shapes around it.

The magma inside a shield volcano is rich in iron, and magnesium and is very fluid.

When shield volcano erupts, the flowing lava gives the volcano the shape of a gently sloping mountain.

Examples: Mauna Loa in Hawaii, Kilauea the youngest and most active Hawaiian Shield volcano.

CINDER CONE VOLCANO

The magma inside a cinder cone volcano has large amounts of gas trapped in it.

Eruptions from cinder cone volcanoes are violent and explosive because of all the gas trapped in the magma.

Cinder cone volcanoes are usually only active for a short time and then becomes dormant (inactive).

Cone – shaped volcano whose steep side are formed by loose fragmented cinders that fall to the earth close to the vent.

There bowl – shaped crater at the top. As the gas filled lava erupts into the air, the lava fragments into pieces and form
a ball cinders.

Mt. Smith and Paricutin in Mexico are examples of cinder cone volcanoes

DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN ACTIVE AND INACTIVE VOLCANOES AND GIVE EXAMPLES OF EACH
TYPE WHICH ARE FOUND IN THE PHILIPPINES
The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7100 islands. Most of these islands are of volcanic origin. The Philippines
lies between the Pacific and Eurasian Plates which makes it highly vulnerable to typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanic
eruptions and earthquakes. The Pacific Ring of Fire that runs at the western rim of the Pacific Ocean is the most seismically
active part of the earth, typified by a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake generators. Around 20 earthquakes are
registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt. There are about 300 volcanoes in the Philippines. Twenty-two (22) of
these are active while the larger percentage remains dormant as of the record.

CLASSIFICATION OF VOLCANOES

There are several ways by which volcanoes can be classified. An active, inactive (extinct) and dormant, where
dormant volcanoes are considered as an active volcano that is not erupting, but supposed to erupt again. PHIVOLCS
(Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) have adapted a system where the Philippine volcanoes as active
or inactive. Active volcanoes are those that have a record of eruption within the last 600 years or those that erupted 10, 000
years ago based on analyses of their materials. Active volcano a volcano that has erupted within the last 600 years and are
documented by man or those that erupted 10, 000 years ago based on analyses of datable materials.

Inactive volcanoes, are those that have not erupted for the last 10, 000 years and their physical form is being
changed by agents of weathering and erosion through formation of deep long gullies.

A volcano can change at any time and it is difficult to tell whether a volcano is active or inactive.

ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Mount Mayon – Albay


Mount Mayon, one of the most impressive Philippine landmarks, with an elevation of 2,462 meters, and is the most
active volcano in the Philippines. Based on recorded history of the country, this almost perfect cone volcano in Albay erupted
at least 51 times from 1616 up to present. The first recorded eruption of Mount Mayon was seen in February 1616 by Dutch
explorer Joris Van Spilbergen. One of the most remarkable and most devastating eruptions of Mount Mayon was its eruption
in 1766 that erased the town of Cagsawa in the Philippine map. Only the bell tower of Cagsawa Church remained above
the new surface. This 1766 volcanic eruption killed 2,200 people in Albay. Though other estimates put the death toll at 1,200
people killed. Ash was reported to be as deep as 30 feet (9 meters).
Taal Volcano – Batangas
Taal Volcano, situated within Taal Lake, has always been known to be one of the most active volcanoes in the
country and in fact tagged as the world’s most active smallest volcano. This volcano located in Batangas province had
erupted 33 times from 1572 to the present. Taal Volcano had its largest eruption in 1754 that lasted from May through
December. The January 1911 eruption of the Taal Volcano is considered as one of the most devastating of the volcano’s
history killing a reported 1,335 lives. This volcanic explosion was heard over 600 miles away. Its last eruption occurred in
July 2009 and is currently closely monitored for its abnormal activities which may result to another eruption of this small but
very active volcano. It has an elevation of 400 meters. There has not been an actual eruption of Taal Volcano since 1977,
there are many earthquakes in the area and the volcano is off limits to the public. The main today is that there could be
steam explosions.

Mount Kanlaon – Negros Oriental


With an elevation of 2.435 meters, one of the most active Philippine volcanoes is Mount Kanlaon or Kanlaon
Volcano. It had erupted at least 28 times already from 1886 up to the present. Its last major eruption happened in 1996.
This August 1996 volcanic eruption trapped 24 hikers on the mountain, when the Kanlaon Volcano erupted without any
warning, killing 3 of these hikers. Kanloan Volcano last erupted in 2016. This 2016 eruption produced a thunderous boom
shooting a smoke plume into the air for 1500 meters above the crater. Fireballs also shot out of the crater causing brush
fires in the area.

Didicas Volcano - Cagayan


One of the smallest and most active volcanoes in the Philippines is Dicicas Volcano located in Cagayan
province. With an elevation of 244 meters only it had already erupted 7 times from 1773 up to 1990.

Dequey – Batanes
Dequey Volcano, an underwater volcano, is located in the smallest province of the Philippines – Batanes. With an
elevation of -24 meters above sea level, it has been known to have erupted 3 times - 1773, 1850, and 1854. It is considered
as Philippine most active undersea volcano.

INACTIVE VOLCANO IN THE PHILIPPINES

If there was an active volcano, there are also not. especially in the Philippines. All-known located in the
Pacific Ring of Fire. Let us know some of the inactive volcanoes in the Philippines.

Alligator Lake
Tadlac Lake, also colloquially known as Alligator Lake, is a freshwater crater lake located in Barangay Tadlac, in the
municipality of Los Baños of Laguna province in the Philippines.

Anilao Hill
Anilao Hill is a mountain and is located in the Province of Batangas, Calabarzon, Philippines. The estimated terrain
elevation above sea level is 248 meters. Variant forms of spelling for Anilao Hill or in other languages: Anilao Hill (fil), Anilao
Hill.

Mount Atimbia
Mount Tagapo, also known as Susong Dalaga mountain, is a conical peak on the lake island of Talim on Laguna de
Bay, the largest lake in the Philippines. The mountain ridge is 438 m (1,437 ft) in elevation and the highest point of Talim
Island.[1] The peak falls under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan and Cardona in Rizal province.

Mount Bagacay
Mount Bagacay is a mountain and is located in the Province of Camarines Norte, Bicol, Philippines. The elevation
above sea level is 787 meters.

Mount Balikabok
Balikabok is next to Mount Dangas and is located in the Province of Zambales, Central Luzon, Philippines.

TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS

Volcanoes erupt differently. They are generally classified as wet or dry depending on the magma’s water
content. Volcanoes are described according to the style of eruption as follows:

A. PHREATIC OR HYDROTHERMAL – is a stream-driven eruption as the hot


rocks come in contact with water. It is short lived, characterized by ash columns
but may be an onset of a larger eruption. Shown on the right is our Taal Volcano
in Batangas.

B. PHREATOMAGMATIC – is a violent eruption due to the contact between


water and magma. As a result, a large column of very fine ash and high-speed
and sideway emission of pyroclastics called base surges are observed.

Taal Volcano (Photo credits: USGS)


C. STROMBOLIAN - a periodic weak to violent eruption characterized by
fountain lava, just like the Irazu Volcano in Costa Rica. It is named after the
volcano Stromboli, which has been erupting nearly continuously for centuries.
Strombolian eruptions are driven by the bursting of gas bubbles within the
magma. This gas bubbles within the magma accumulate and coalesce into
large bubbles, called gas slugs.
Irazu Volcano (Photo credit: USGS)

D. VULCANIAN – characterized by tall eruption columns that reach up to 20


km high with pyroclastic flow and ashfall tephra like that of Paricutin Volcano in
Mexico. Vulcanian eruptions are a type of volcanic eruption named after the
volcano Vulcano. In Vulcanian eruptions, intermediate viscous magma within
the volcano makes it difficult for vesiculate gases to escape. Similar to
Strombolian eruptions, this leads to the buildup of high gas pressure, eventually
popping the cap holding the magma down and resulting in an explosive
eruption. However, unlike Strombolian eruptions, ejected lava fragments are
not aerodynamic; this is due to the higher viscosity of Vulcanian magma and
the greater incorporation of crystalline material broken off from the former cap.
They are also more explosive than their Strombolian counterparts. Lastly,
Vulcanian deposits are andesitic to dacitic rather than basaltic.
Paricutin Volcano (Photo credits: USGS)

E. PLINIAN – excessively explosive type of eruption of gas and pyroclastics,


just like our Pinatubo Volcano in Zambales. Plinian eruptions (or Vesuvian
eruptions) a type of volcanic eruption named for the historical eruption of Mount
Vesuvius in 79 AD that buried the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum
and, specifically, for its chronicler Pliny the Younger. The process powering
Plinian eruptions starts in the magma chamber, where dissolved volatile gases
are stored in the magma.
Pinatubo Volcano (Photo credits: USGS)

HOW CAN WE TELL WHEN A VOLCANO WILL ERUPT?

Can you predict a volcanic eruption?


*Volcanologists can predict eruptions—if they have a thorough understanding of a volcano's eruptive history if they can
install the proper instrumentation on a volcano well in advance of an eruption, and if they can continuously monitor and
adequately interpret data coming from that equipment. Here are the 10 Signs of Impending Volcanic Eruption:
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1. Increase in the frequency of volcanic quakes with rumbling sounds; the occurrence of volcanic tremors.

2. Increased steaming activity; change in color of steam emission from white to gray due to entrained ash.

3. Crater glow due to the presence of magma at or near the crater.

4. Ground swells (or inflation), ground tilt, and ground fissuring due to magma intrusion.

5. Localized landslides, rockfalls, and landslides from the summit area which not attributable to heavy rains.

6. Noticeable increase in the extent of drying up of vegetation around the volcano’s upper slopes.

7. Increase in the temperature of hot springs, a wells crater lake near the volcano.

8. Noticeable variation in the chemical content of springs, crater lakes within the vicinity of the volcano.

9. Drying up of springs/wells around the volcano.

10. Development of new thermal areas and/or reactivation of old ones; the appearance of solfatara. (A solfatara is a
volcanic vent emitting only sulfurous gases and water vapor or sometimes hot mud.)

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