Volcano Eruptions
Geography: AQA GCSE, topic 1.2.7
Volcano Eruption
When a volcano erupts at the Earth's surface, it can produce lots of different things, including:
Lava
- Lava is magma (molten rock) above the surface of the Earth.
Gases
- Volcanoes emit lots of gases like sulfur.
Ash
- Ash is tiny pieces of burnt rock fragments that are blown into the atmosphere, usually at some force.
- These pieces fall on land and can float in the air, causing a volcanic winter (by blocking out the sun).
- A volcanic winter describes when a volcano erupts, producing lots of ash, which then blocks the sun. Mount Pinatubo's 1991 eruption reduced global temperatures for 3 years.
Pyroclastic flows
- Pyroclastic flows are currents of hot ash, lava and gas that can move downhill at speeds of up to 500km/h during an eruption.
- Pyroclastic flows are impossible to outrun.
- They can reach temperatures of up to 1000oC and can cover distances of up to 30km from the volcano.
Test yourself on Volcano Eruptions
Which of these is NOT a product of volcanic eruptions?