Name: Earth Science Pd:
Directions: Navigate the National Geographic website to learn about different types of volcanoes and how they erupt. Follow step-by-step with the interactive site to answer the questions below. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/forcesofnature/interactive/index.html?section=v
SECTION 1 – WHAT IS A VOLCANO?
1.
Around how many volcanoes are currently or were recently active?
2.
What percent of these volcanoes occurred near the ring of fire?
3.
What are some of the benefits of volcanoes? (at least 3)
SECTION 2 – WHERE DO VOLCANOES OCCUR?
4.
Most volcanoes occur in areas where huge slabs of rock meet in the lithosphere. What are these areas known as?
SECTION 3 – HOW DO VOLCANOES FORM?
5.
One plate sliding underneath another plate is the greatest cause for volcanic activity on Earth.
What is this process known as?
6.
The 5% of volcanoes which occur in the middle of plates (intraplate volcanoes) are caused by what feature underneath the Earth’s surface?
SECTION 4 – TYPES OF VOLCANOES
7.
What type of volcano consists of a small, steep, cone-shaped structure made mostly of ash and cinders?
8.
What type of volcano consists of a large, steep structure formed from explosive eruptions of pyroclastic materials and lava?
9.
What type of volcano consists of a broad, gently sloped structure formed by streams of lava?
SECTION 5 – HOW DO VOLCANOES ERUPT?
10.
What two traits characterize volcanic eruptions?

Name: Earth Science Pd:
11.
What factor determines the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions? Does more or less of this factor contribute to more explosive volcanic eruptions?
12.
What is viscosity?
13.
What factor determines the viscosity of lava in volcanic eruptions?
14.
Does high silica content in magma produce liquid lava or pyroclasts in eruptions?
SECTION 6 – MAKE YOUR OWN VOLCANO
15.
What type of volcano results from high amounts of dissolved gases and high silica content of magma? Is this eruption explosive? Is more liquid lava or solid pyroclast ejected?
16.
What type of volcano results from high amounts of dissolved gases and low silica content of magma? Is this eruption explosive? Is more liquid lava or solid pyroclast ejected?
17.
What type of volcano results from low amounts of dissolved gases and low silica content of magma? Is this eruption explosive? Is more liquid lava or solid pyroclast ejected?
CASE STUDIES – Read each case study and write a short summary (Three Sentences Minimum) about each of the following volcanoes. Be sure to indicate the volcanic type for each and describe the most famous eruption.
18.
Kilauea -
19.
Mount St. Helens -
20.
Vesuvius -