Supervolcanoes
The syllabus simply requires you to demonstrate that you understand:
 What a Supervolcano look like.
 The characteristics of a possible supervolcano eruption and its effects
But first, some Quick revision:
The difference between shield and composite volcanoes: Shield volcanoes are formed where the
plates move apart at _________ plate margins. As there is _____ pressure at this plate margin the
_____ erupts constantly but slowly. As the volcano is formed of magma this can flow further and
so its slopes are more ______
Composite volcanoes form at destructive plate margins where an _______ plate and a continental
plate move together. There is more pressure here. Eruptions are less frequent but more _______
and contain _______ as well as lava. The ash in the lava means it flows less far and so the volcano
is steeper and _________.
Narrower, oceanic, volcano, less, violent, ash, gentle, constructive
Now an introduction to supervolcanoes: what do they look like?
Fill in the gaps with the correct word. You have the first letter for each, so there is no word box
below
Supervolcanoes are much b________ and wider than normal volcanoes. They are not easy to see
at first as they are often quite flat and l__ to the ground. Rather than a crater like a normal
volcano has, a Supervolcano has a Caldera. Calderas aren’t at the top of mountain like c_______,
but instead form when the m_____ below is erupted and the earth’s s_______ then collapses
d____
We are going to look a BBC drama on Yellowstone Supervolcano in the USA. This will cover
EVERYTHING YOU NEED to answer any question on supervolcanoes in the exam. Not only this, the
DVD will show how volcanoes can be monitored by scientists (volcanologists is the name for
scientists who study volcanoes) as they try to predict when they will erupt. So this DVD overlaps
with the work we did on the Montserrat eruption.
So as you watch the DVD it is vital that you also take notes. We have provided a table to help you
with this…
Monitoring Volcanoes
Hint
Gas
What do scientists measure
What does this show?
Earthquakes
Shape of land
Other
Global effects of a Supervolcano eruption
The primary effects of a supervolcano will be similar to a ‘normal’ one as ash is ejected into the air
and lava is erupted, so towns will be covered buildings collapse and people will be killed. But the
scale of a supervolcano is different. So much ash, superheated gas and lava is erupted that
everything within the first 100 miles at least will be completely destroyed. After that the effects
become GLOBAL and long-term (like ash blocking out the sun all over the hemisphere and creating
a mini ice age).
In the exam you will need to know social economic and environmental effects as well as where will
be affected and how it will be so difficult to cope with the effects. The best way to cover all this
whilst watching is probably to do it as a flow diagram. So in the middle of a full page in your book
write “Effects Yellowstone National Park Supervolcano erupting” in a small box. As you watch write
in effects (especially global) and categorise them and show how effects have knock on effects as
well (LINKAGES as the mark scheme calls them)