Transcript Volcanoes
Volcanoes A Volcano is… • A geographic feature on the Earth’s surface (as well as other planets) where magma erupts through the Earth’s surface. • Volcanoes tend to exist on or near plate boundaries, however there are exceptions. • There are three different types of volcanoes as geologists have classified them. Each will be discussed briefly in this presentation. Shield Volcano • Shield volcanoes are built almost entirely of fluid lava flows, which flows and hardens over time. • This creates a mellow slope, a volcano which resembles a warriors shield, which is where it got its name. • Some of the largest volcanoes in the world are shield volcanoes. Picture of a Shield Volcano Composite/Strato Volcano • Composite, also known as stratovolvanoes are large, steep sided volcanoes built of alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, and cinders. • Composite volcanoes have a magma reservoir deep in the Earth’s crust from which the magma rises. Picture of a Composite Volcano Cinder Cone Volcano • Cinder cone volcanoes are the simplest type of volcano. • They are built from blobs of congealed volcanoes ejected from a single vent. • Most Cinder cones are relatively small, most of them being less than 1000 feet. Picture of a Cinder Volcano Our Model Volcano • Our model volcano is most like a Cinder Cone Volcano, in that it has very steep sides. • Our volcano may or may not shoot out magma as a cinder cone would. • Our model, in reality has some characteristics of both stratovolcanoes and cinder cones. Overall, however, I think it resembles a cinder cone more closely. Works Cited • http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/glossary • http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/imgs/jpg/photogl ossary/shieldvolcano • http://www.swisseduc.ch/stromboli/glossar y/icons/stratostrombolib.jpg