Eruption Types & Volcano Shape
Science · Volcanoes & Earthquakes · conceptual
Understand that not all volcanic eruptions are the same: some flow gently (effusive) and some explode violently (explosive), depending on the properties of the magma, and that volcano shape is related to eruption type
What mastery looks like
- Contrast effusive eruptions (gentle lava flows) with explosive eruptions (violent blasts of ash and rock)
- Explain that eruption type depends on properties of the magma such as thickness and gas content
- Connect volcano shape to eruption style: shield volcanoes from runny lava, steep cones from thick explosive magma
Check your understanding
If Eruption Types & Volcano Shape compared pictures of a gently oozing Hawaiian volcano and a violently erupting one like Mount St Helens, could they explain why eruptions look so different and how that relates to the volcano's shape?
Prerequisites
Required first
Helpful