Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
Devils Post Piles: What? Where? How?
Devils Postpile National Monument contains 798 acres (3.23 km2) and includes two main tourist
attractions Devils Postpile National Monument was once part of Yosemite National Park, formed in the
Volcano Research Project
Apr. 4
triassic period
Name ______________________________
Volcano Research Project
Apr. 4
Name ______________________________
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
Devils Tower: What? Where? How?
Devils
Tower (Lakota: Mato Tipila, which means “Bear Lodge”) is a monolithic igneous intrusion or volcanic
neck located in the Black Hills near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming,
Caldera: What? How formed?
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a
volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes
confused with volcanic craters. The word comes from Spanish caldera, and this from Latin
CALDARIA, meaning "cooking pot". In some texts the English term cauldron is also used.
Lava Plateau: What? How Formed?
Lava plateaus are formed by highly fluid (runny) basaltic lava during numerous successive eruptions
through numerous vents without violent explosions (quiet eruptions). These eruptions are quiet because
of low viscosity of mafic lava, so that it is very fluid and contains small amount of trapped gases. The
resulting sheet lava flows may be extruded from linear fissures or rifts or gigantic volcanic eruptions
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
through multiple vents characteristic of the prehistoric era which produced giant flood basalts. Multiple
successive and extensive lava flows cover the original landscape to eventually form a plateau, which may
contain lava fields, cinder cones, shield volcanos and other volcanic landforms
Hot Spot: Inter-plate Volcanic Activity?
What? How? Where?
The places known as hotspots or hot spots in geology are volcanic regions thought to be fed by
underlying mantle that is anomalously hot compared with the mantle elsewhere. They may be on,
near to, or far from tectonic plate boundaries. There are two hypotheses to explain them. One
suggests that they are due to hot mantle plumes that rise as thermal diapirs from the core-mantle
boundary.[1] The other hypothesis postulates that it is not high temperature that causes the
volcanism, but lithospheric extension that permits the passive rising of melt from shallow
depths.[2][3] This hypothesis considers the term "hotspot" to be a misnomer, asserting that the
mantle source beneath them is, in fact, not anomalously hot at all.
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
Most Dangerous Volcano? Where
A recent PBS documentary identified Kilauea, on the island of Hawaii, as “The Most
Dangerous Volcano in the World.” A curious choice, in my opinion, for any rating of a volcano's danger
must take into account both the intrinsic hazard and the number of lives at risk.
Most Active? Where?
From time to time, we get calls from people who are writing about Kilauea, hoping to confirm
the idea that Kilauea is the most active volcano on Earth. We have to tell them that, no, it's only
one of the most active volcanoes. At least one other volcano on the planet erupts more frequently
than Kilauea - Stromboli. Stromboli Volcano, off the west coast of southern Italy, has been
erupting nearly continuously for over 2,000 years. Often called the "Lighthouse of the
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
Mediterranean," Stromboli produces spectacular incandescent explosions that have long attracted
visitors.
Largest Volcano on Earth? Where?
Muana Loa in Hawaii
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
Largest Volcano in our Solar System?
What kind?
The largest volcano in the Solar System also happens to be the largest mountain in the Solar System;
isn’t that convenient. Don’t look on Earth. To find the biggest volcano, you’ll need to travel to Mars to
see the mighty Olympus MonsThe largest volcano in the Solar System also happens to be the largest
mountain in the Solar System; isn’t that convenient. Don’t look on Earth. To find the biggest volcano,
you’ll need to travel to Mars to see the mighty Olympus MonsThe largest volcano in the Solar System
also happens to be the largest mountain in the Solar System; isn’t that convenient. Don’t look on Earth.
To find the biggest volcano, you’ll need to travel to Mars to see the mighty Olympus Mons
The Volcano is named after?
(Roman God)
The word 'volcano' comes from the little island of Vulcano in the Mediterranean Sea off Sicily.
Centuries ago, the people living in this area believed that Vulcano was the chimney of the forge
of Vulcan - the blacksmith of the Roman gods. They thought that the hot lava fragments and
clouds of dust erupting form Vulcano came from Vulcan's forge as he beat out thunderbolts for
Jupiter, king of the gods, and weapons for Mars, the god of war.
In Roman mythology, Vulcan, the god of fire, was said to have made tools and weapons for the
other gods in his workshop at Olympus. Throughout history, volcanoes have frequently been
Volcano Research Project
Name ______________________________
Apr. 4
identified with Vulcan and other mythological figures. Scientists now know that the "smoke"
from volcanoes, once attributed by poets to be from Vulcan's forge, is actually volcanic gas
naturally released from both active and many inactive volcanoes.
Volcan was Hephaistos - the Greek god of fire and craftsmanship, named Vulcan by the Romans.
He was the son of Zeus and Hera - although some versions of his story state that he had no
father, with Hera bearing him alone in retaliation for Zeus having brought forth Athena Hephaestus was born lame and ugly, and his mother Hera hated him on first sight.
In one version of the myth, Hera herself, after seeing that he was born deformed, casts him from
Olympus. In another version Zeus hurls him from heaven because he tried to defend Hera when
they were having a quarrel. Upon landing on Lemnos - after falling for a full day - Hephaestus
brakes his legs and becomes lame. In any case, the sea-goddess Thetis then finds the crippled
infant on the beach, and takes him to her underwater grotto where she raises him with the help of
Eurynome, mother of the Graces.
To regain his rightful place among the gods, Hephaestus used a clever ruse. He built a golden
throne and sent it to Hera as a gift. Upon sitting on it, Hera got imprisoned by its golden arms,
which promptly clamped her. To reclaim her freedom Hera had to extract a promise from all the
gods that Hephaestus would be accepted into the Pantheon.
3 kinds of Pyroclastic materials? Size?
Volcanic ash,lapilli,volcanic bombs and
volcanic blocks