Volcano Facts and Types of Volcanoes

Have you ever wanted to visit a volcano? Well here are some things you would like to know about volcanoes before you think that you want to. Volcanoes are formed when magma from within the Earth's upper mantle works its way to the surface. At the surface, it erupts to form lava flows ash deposits. Over time as the volcano continues to erupt, it will get bigger and bigger. If you look inside a volcano, you’d see something that looks like a long pipe, Caved a condict. It leads from inside the magma chamber under the crust up to a vent, of opening shoot off the side, called fissures. Sixty percent of all active volcanoes occur at the boundaries between tectonic plates. Most volcanoes are found along a belt, called the ¨Ring Of Fire¨ that encircles the Pacific Ocean. Some volcanoes, like those that form the Hawaiian Islands, occur in the interior of of plates at areas called ¨Hot Spots.

A hot-spot is theorized to form as one of Earth's outer tectonic plates moves over an usually hot part of the Earth´s and large amounts of magma rise up, piercing through the plates and producing large volcanic eruptions at the boundaries of Earth's surface. Hotspot volcanism would thus be unique because it doesn't at the boundaries of Earth's tectonic plates, where other volcanism occurs.

Type Classifications

Volcanoes can also be classified by type. Shield volcanoes are low,dome-shaped mountains shaped by lava that flows easily and covers a large area. Cinder cone volcanoes are the simplest form, they erupt from a single vent and usually have a bowl-shaped crater at the summit. At the surface, it erupts to form lava flows and ash deposits. Over time as the volcano continues to erupt, it will get bigger and bigger. Scientists have categorized volcanoes into three main categories:active, dormant, and extinct cash deposits. When pressure builds from gases inside the volcano, the gases must find an escape, and they head up toward the surface. An eruption occurs when Lava, Gases, Ash, and Rocks explode out of the vent.

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