VOLCANOES (PARTS AND TYPES)
Lecture No. 1
Philippines is home to several volcanoes due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The term “volcano” refers to mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent in which lava, rock
fragments, hot vapor, and gas are or have been erupted from the earth's crust. The lava and other volcanic
materials originated from molten materials called magma found beneath the surface of the Earth. Magma and
other volcanic materials are finding its way to the surface where they are expelled through openings like
cracks and holes. Any activity that includes the movement of magma towards or onto the surface is called
volcanism.
PARTS OF VOLCANO
Summit is the highest point or the apex of the volcano. At the summit, you have an opening called vent.
Slopes are the sides or flanks of a volcano that radiate from the main or central vent.
Base is lower outer part of the volcano.
OTHER GEOLOGIC FEATURES OF VOLCANO
Magma Chamber is a region beneath the vent of a volcano where molten rock or magma is deposited or
stored before eruption.
Main Vent is the main opening or outlet on the surface of a volcano that emits lava, gases, ash, or other
volcanic materials.
Conduit is an underground central tube-like or pipe-like structure of a volcano that connects the magma
chamber to the crater through which the magma travels.
Side Vent is a smaller outlet through which magma escapes.
Crater is the mouth of the volcano which is a funnel-shaped or bowl-shaped hollow at the top of the vent
from where magma, ash and gas comes out.
Lava is a molten rock which is given off onto the surface of the Earth when a volcano erupts.
Ash and Gas Cloud is a of mixtures of rock, minerals, glass particles and gases expelled or pushed out of the
volcano during volcanic eruption.
CLASSIFICATION OF VOLCANOES
There are several ways by which volcanoes can be classified. They can be classified based on structure and
activity.
Types of Volcanoes Based on Structure
One way to classify different types of volcanoes is through the structure characterized by their shape, parts,
and formation.
A. Cinder cone volcanoes are the simplest type of volcano. They are built from particles and blobs of solidified
lava ejected from a single vent. Lava is thrown into the air, which breaks into small fragments that solidify
and fall as cinders around the vent to form a circular or oval cone. Most cinder cones have a steep slope, wide
crater and are the most abundant of the three major volcano types.
Example:
Taal Volcano (Batangas)
B. Composite volcanoes or stratovolcanoes are large, typically steepsided, symmetrical cones of large dimension
formed from alternating layers of lava flows, volcanic ash, cinders, blocks, and pyroclastic materials. One
important feature of a composite volcanoes is the conduit system from which magma rises to the surface of
the Earth. They are formed from viscous, or sticky, lava that does not flow easily. The lava builds up around
the vent forming a volcano with steep sides.
Example:
Mayon Volcano (Albay)
C. Shield volcanoes are large, broad volcanoes that look similar to shields. These volcanoes are built almost
entirely of fluid lava flow thus these volcanoes are not steep. They can be easily identified because they are
tall and broad, with flat, rounded shapes. The lava is not accompanied by pyroclastic materials, which makes
shield volcanoes relatively safe. Eruptions at shield volcanoes are only explosive if water somehow gets into
the vent.
Example:
Mauna Loa (Hawaii)
Types of Volcanoes Based on Activity
Another way of classifying volcanoes according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology
(PHIVOLCS) is based on their activity as indicated by their behavior and historical records.
A. Active volcanoes are those volcanoes that have had at least one eruption during the past 10,000 years. They
are those that erupted recently and still showing regular activity like emission of gases, lava and ash flows.
B. Inactive volcanoes, on the other hand, are those that have not erupted for the last 10,000 years and is not
expected to erupt again in a comparable time scale of the future. There are no signs of volcanic activity for a
long period of time because magma supply is cut off. Also the physical form of the volcano has signs of
intensive weathering and erosion.
C. Potentially active volcanoes are those that have no records of volcanic activity but are morphologically
young-looking.
TYPES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTION
Different types of volcanoes erupt differently. They are generally classified as wet or dry depending on the
magma’s water content. Volcanoes are described according to the style of eruption as follows:
A. Phreatic or hydrothermal is a stream-driven eruption as the hot rocks come in contact with water. It is short
lived, characterized by ash columns but may be a beginning of a larger eruption.
B. Phreatomagmatic is a violent eruption due to the contact between water and magma. As a result, a large
column of very fine ash and high-speed and sideway emission of pyroclastic materials called base surges are
observed.
C. Strombolian a periodic, weak to violent eruption characterized by fountain lava.
D. Vulcanian is characterized by tall eruption columns that reach up to 20 km high with pyroclastic flow and
ash fall tephra.
E. Plinian is excessively explosive type of eruption of gas and pyroclastic materials.
SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING VOLCANIC ERUPTION
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) is the government agency tasked with
monitoring earthquakes and volcanoes in the country. Based on their findings, here are the commonly
observed signs when a volcano is about to erupt.
