Volcano Characteristics
Looks at where volcanoes are found, where magma arises, and if they are active, dormant,
or extinct.
Volcanoes
Is Earth the only planet to have volcanoes?
On Earth, active volcanoes are found on all continents except Australia. Volcanoes even
erupt under the ice on Antarctica! Volcanoes are also common elsewhere in the solar
system. In fact, the biggest volcano is on Mars. This image is of Olympus Mons, which is a
shield volcano. Olympus Mons is three times the height of Mt. Everest. But its slopes are
very gentle.
Volcanoes
A volcano is a vent from which the material from a magma chamber escapes. This may
include lava, rock fragments, ash, and gases. Volcanic eruptions can come from many
types of structures. Most people think of volcanoes as large, peaky cones. But volcanoes
can be large and broad, or tiny little cones. Volcanic eruptions can come from fractured
domes, a vent in the ground, or from a giant hole in the ground.
Where They Are
Volcanoes are a vibrant manifestation of plate tectonics processes. Volcanoesare
common along convergent and divergent plate boundaries. They are also found within
lithospheric plates at hotspots. Wherever mantle is able to melt, volcanoes are likely to
be the result.
The Pacific Ocean basin is a good place to look for different types of volcanoes. The light
blue wavy line that goes up the right-center of the diagram is the East Pacific Rise. The
rise is made of volcanoes at a divergent plate boundary. Trenches due to subduction are
on the west and east sides of the basin. Subduction creates island arcs that are seen in
the Western Pacific. Subduction also creates continental arcs seen along Central and
South America. Hawaii is the line of volcanoes trending southeast-northwest near the
center-top of the image (Figure below). The Hawaiian volcanoes are due to a hotspot.
Volcanoes at divergent plate boundaries are in the East Pacific Rise. Convergent plate boundaries, where there are
trenches, have volcanoes. Hotspot volcanoes are in chains in the middle of the ocean basin.[Figure1]
Creating Magma
Volcanoes erupt because mantle rock melts. This is the first stage in creating a volcano.
How can rock melt? One way is if the temperature rises. Another way is if the pressure
on the rock decreases; this will lower the rock's meltingtemperature. The melting
temperature of a rock also goes down if water is added. Every time there is a volcanic
eruption, one or more of these things happens. For each type of volcano mentioned in
these concepts, think about how and why melting occurs.
Stages
Volcanoes can be active, dormant, or extinct.[Figure2]
Of all the volcanoes in the world, very few are erupting at any given time. Scientists
question whether a volcano that is not erupting will ever erupt again and then describe
it as active, dormant, or extinct.
Active: Currently erupting or showing signs of erupting soon.
Dormant: No current activity, but has erupted recently.
Extinct: No activity for some time; will probably not erupt again.
Further Reading
Predicting Volcanic Eruptions
Summary
Volcanoes are located along convergent and divergent plate boundaries. They can be
found in the middle of plates at hot spots.
Magma can be created when temperature rises, pressure lowers, or water is added.
Volcanoes may be active, dormant, or extinct. This depends on whether there is the
possibility of magma in their magma chambers.
Review
1. Where do most volcanoes occur? Why?
2. What is needed for magma to form?
3. If a volcano is dormant, can it become active? Can it become extinct?
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Vocabulary
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Term Definition
Volcano that is currently
active volcano erupting or is just about to
erupt.
Volcano that is not currently
dormant volcano erupting but has erupted in
the recent past.
Volcano that has not
erupted in recorded history
extinct volcano
and is unlikely to erupt
again.
Image Attributions
1. [Figure 1]
Credit: Courtesy of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
Source:[Link]
License: Public Domain
2. [Figure 2]
Credit: Zappy's
Source: CK-12 Foundation
License: CC BY-NC 3.0
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