4.2.4

Classification & Features

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Volcano Classification and Main Features

Classification and key parts of volcanoes include active, dormant, extinct types and features like crater, vent, magma, magma chamber, and secondary cone.

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Volcano classification

  • Volcanoes are active, dormant, or extinct.
    • Active volcanoes erupt regularly or show signs of activity.
    • Dormant volcanoes have not erupted recently but may erupt again.
    • Extinct volcanoes have not erupted for thousands of years and are unlikely to erupt.
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The crater

  • The crater is the bowl-shaped depression at the volcano's summit.
  • Magma and volcanic gases erupt through the crater.
  • The crater forms from explosive eruptions or collapse after magma empties.
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The vent

  • The vent is the main passage for magma to reach the surface.
  • The vent connects the magma chamber below to the crater above.
    • Volcanoes have a central vent and sometimes secondary vents.
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Magma and magma chamber

  • Magma is molten rock beneath the Earth's surface.
  • The magma chamber is a large underground pool of magma under the volcano.
  • Pressure builds in the magma chamber before an eruption occurs.
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Secondary cone

  • A secondary cone forms from lava and ash piling up around a secondary vent.
  • Secondary vent creates smaller cones on the sides of the main volcano.
    • Secondary cones show multiple eruption points on a single volcano.

Jump to other topics

1Paper 1 - Changing River Environnments

2Paper 1 - Changing Coastal Environments

3Paper 1 - Changing Ecosystems

4Paper 1 - Tectonic Hazards

5Paper 1 - Climate Change

6Paper 2 - Changing Populations

7Paper 2 - Changing Towns & Cities

8Paper 2 - Development

9Paper 2 - Changing Economies

10Paper 2 - Resource Provision

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