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Platetectonicsettingistheprincipalcontrolonwherevolcanoesform.Forexample,theyare
commonalongconvergentanddivergentmargins,andoccurinintraplatehotspotsettings.
Alongconvergentmarginstheydevelopprimarilyasstratovolcanoesthatliewithinislandor
volcanicarcswhileinintraplatehotspotsettingslikeHawaiitheydevelopaslargeshield
volcanoes.Thoughunderseavolcanoesarecommonalongdivergentmargins,theydonot
appeartohavemucheffectontheseaorlandsurface,and,asaresult,theyarenot
consideredinPerilousEarth.Inthissection,youshouldfocusonunderstandingthesettings
forshieldandstratovolcanoes.
1. Theleadingedgeoccursonwhichsideofalargelithosphericplate?
2. Thetrailingedgeoccursonwhichsideofalargelithosphericplate?
3. Whatisanislandarc?
4. Howdointraoceanicislandarcsdifferfromcontinentalmarginislandarcs?
5. ArethereportionsofanislandarclocatedinCalifornia?Ifso,thenwhere?
6. Whatarethethreeprominenttypesofvolcanoes?
7. Stratovolcanoesarecomposedofmixedlayersof______________and________________
material.
8. Howwouldyoudescribethecompositionofmoststratovolcanoes?
9. Shieldvolcanoesarebuiltupprimarilyfromhighlyfluid,lowviscosity___________________
lava.
10. Wherewouldyoufindaclassicexampleofashieldvolcano?
11. Ofthethreeprominenttypesofvolcanoes,whichisthesmallest?
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page1
12. Whattypesofvolcanoesarecommoninislandarcsettings?
13. Whatistheaveragedipofsubductingplates?
14. Thetrenchisadeepbathymetricfurrowmarkingthelocationwhereoneplatedescendsor
subductsbeneathanother.Ifthedipofthesubductingplateislessthan45o,thenwhat
happenstothedistancebetweenthelocusofvolcanicarcactivityintheislandarcandthe
trench?
15. Ifthedipofthesubductingplateisgreaterthan45o,thenwhathappenstothedistance
betweenthelocusofvolcanicactivityandthetrench?
16. Ifwaterandothertypesofvolatilesareintroducedtothelowerlithosphericmantle,thenwhat
happens?
17. WhatistheMohorovicicdiscontinuity?
18. GeologistdescribetheaccumulationofmagmaattheMohoas(pickallthatapply)
a. Accumulations
b. Gathering
c. Ponding
d. Underplating
e. Streaming
19. AfterleavingtheMohomagmamayeventuallyaccumulateinalargechamberlyingbeneatha
volcanoe.Whatisthechambercalled?
20. Hotspotsareknowntooccurin
a. Convergentmargins
b. BigcitieslikeNewYork
c. Intraplatesettings
d. Subductionzones
e. Whereabundantoilwellshavebeendrilled
21. Relativelywellknownhotspotsarelocatedin(pickallthatapply)
a. California
b. Texas
c. Yellowstone
d. Hawaii
e. NewYorkCity
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page2
22. Wherehotspotsexisthotplumesofmantlerockrisewithoutsignificantlossofheattoareasof
lowerconfiningpressure.Whatwouldhappentotheheadoftheplumeifitrisestojustafew
kilometersbeneaththeseabedorlandsurface?
23. Riftsare___________________basinsproducedbythestretchingorpullingapartofthecrust.
24. Fromthefollowinglist,selecttheplatesandmicroplatesthatmakeuptheEastAfricanRift
System.
a. IndianAustralianplate
b. Africanplate
c. Arabianmicroplate
d. Eurasianplate
e. Somalianmicroplate
25. IstheEastAfricaRiftSystemconsideredtobeanoldorayoungrift?
26. PickfromthefollowinglistalloftheprocessesassociatedwithvolcanismintheEastAfricanRift
System.
a. Magmaeffusesoutoffissurestoformfloodbasalts
b. Magmaeffusesoutofacentralventtoformlargeshieldvolcanoes
c. Magmaexplosivelyeruptstoformlargestratovolcanoes
d. Magmaeffusesoutofamidoceanridgeformingpillowlava
e. MagmacoolsbeneaththeEarthssurfacetoformapluton
27. WhatwilleventuallyhappentotheEastAfricanRiftSystem?
Inthenextsectionfocusonunderstandingwhathappenstomagmainasubvolcanicmagma
chamber,andrememberthatthemajorfactorthatdeterminesifavolcanowillerupt
explosivelyornotistheviscosityoftheeruptingmagma.
28. Viscosityistheinternalresistanceto_________whenashearstressisapplied.
29. Whathappenstotheviscosityasmagmacools?
30. TheproportionofSiO2inmagmaexertsamajorcontrolonitsviscosity.Forexample,silicic
magmaismoreviscousthanmaficmagma.Arerhyoliticmagmasmoreorlessviscousthan
basalticones?Howaboutrhyoliticascomparedtoandesiticmagma?
31. Anotherimportantcontroloverviscosityistheamountofdissolvedwaterinthemagma.Given
magmaofacertaincomposition,ifyousplititintotwoparcelsanddissolvewaterinoneparcel
butnotintheother,whichparcelwillbelessviscous?
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page3
32. Confiningpressurecontrolstoalargedegreeifwaterandothervolatiles(e.g.,CO2)canbe
dissolvedinmagma,i.e.,whetherornotitissolubleorinsoluble.Whatisconfiningpressure?
Doesitincreaseordecreasewithdepthwithinthecrust?
33. Whatdoesthetermsolubilityreferto?
34. Doesthesolubilityofthevolatilephaseincreaseordecreasewithdepthinthecrust?
35. Whatismeantbythephrasethevolatilephase,i.e.,primarilyH2OandCO2exsolved?
36. Thevaporpressureisthepressureproducedbythevolatilephaseseparatingfromthemagma
atagiventemperatureunderequilibriumconditions.Undersuchconditionstherateatwhich
thevolatilephaseseparatesfromthemagmais__________therateatwhichitisdissolves
backintoit.
37. Exsolutionofthevolatilephasewilloccurwhenthe_______________________equalsthe
________________________.
38. Iftheexsolutionofthevolatilephaseisaresultofloweredconfiningpressurethenitiscalled
a. Crystallization
b. Vaporization
c. Firstboiling
d. Secondboiling
e. Noneoftheabove
39. Whenanhydrousmineralscrystallizefromamagma,theyleavetheremainingliquidricherin
volatiles.Thisresultinturnincreasesthevaporpressure,andifitrisestothatoftheconfining
pressure,thenexsolutionofthevolatilephasecanoccur.Iftheexsolutionofthevolatilephase
isbroughtonbythecrystallizationofanhydrousmineralslikeolivine,pyroxene,orthefeldspars,
thenitiscalled
a. Crystallization
b. Vaporization
c. Firstboiling
d. Secondboiling
e. Noneoftheabove
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page4
40. Thegeneralprocessofexsolutionofvolatilesfromamagmaiscalled
a. Crystallization
b. Vaporization
c. Airblowing
d. Vesiculation
e. Noneoftheabove
41. Ifmagmaisdegassedwithoutanexplosiveeruptionthenitwilleffusefromthevolcanoaslava.
Pickfromthefollowinglistwherethisprocesscommonlyoccurs.
a. Yellowstone
b. MountShasta
c. Kilauea,Hawaii
d. MountRainier
e. MountSt.Helens
Youshouldnowbereadytotacklethenuisancesofanexplosivevolcaniceruption.Asyou
workthroughthesectionthatfollows,keepinmindthatvesiculationmustoccurforavolcano
toeruptexplosively.However,theviscositiesofintermediatetosilicicmagmasgenerally
preventtheexsolvingvolatilephasefrommigratingthroughthem,andhencetheyhavea
greaterlikelyhoodoferuptingexplosivelythandoesamaficmagmawhereexsolvinggases
movethroughtheliquidphasemoreeasily.
42. Inthefollowingillustrationofanexplosivelyeruptingvolcanowhatarethenamesoftheregions
andsurfaceslabeled(A)through(F)?
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page5
43. Thefragmentationsurfaceformswhenthevolumeofbubblesisaboutwhatpercentageofthe
totalvolumeofthemagmacolumn?
a. 80%
b. 75%
c. 70%
d. 65%
e. 50%
44. Thepointsourcefromwhichallmaterialblastedoutofthevolcanoisderivedseparatesthe
exsolvingmagmabelowfromtheeruptivecolumnabove.Whatisthenameofthissurface?
45. Whatistheeruptioncolumn?
46. Tephra,andgasesdrivenfromtheventintotheatmospherethroughexpansionmakeupthe
a. Umbrellaregion
b. Convectivethrustregion
c. Eruptioncolumn
d. Gasthrustregion
e. Magmacolumn
47. Intheregionwherepyroclasticmaterialsfalloutoftheeruptioncolumn,theremainingmixture
oftephraandgasesbecomeslessdensethanthesurroundingatmosphere,and,asaresult,itis
drivenupwardbyconvection.Thisregioniscalledthe
a. Umbrellaregion
b. Convectivethrustregion
c. Eruptioncolumn
d. Gasthrustregion
e. Magmacolumn
48. Thisregionisstronglyinfluencedbytheprevailingwinddirectionandoccursatthetopofthe
eruptioncolumn.Thisregionisthe
a. Umbrellaregion
b. Convectivethrustregion
c. Eruptioncolumn
d. Gasthrustregion
e. Magmacolumn
49. Tephrathatispulledbygravityoutoftheeruptioncolumncommonlyblanketsthelandscape.
Suchdepositsarecalled
a. Nueesardentes
b. Flows
c. Pyroclasticflows
d. Ashfalldeposits
e. Rain
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page6
50. Ifanairfalldepositisconsolidatedtoformarock,thenitisclassifiedonthebasisofthe
dominantsizeoftephracontainedinthedeposit.Ifthetephraisdominantlyash,thenwhatis
therockcalled?Whatifitiscomposedpredominantlyoflapillisizedtephra?
51. Mixturesofhotgas,tephra,androckfragmentsthatformastheeruptioncolumncollapsesor
asadirectedlateralblastarecalled______________________.Theyalsoaresometimes
referredtoas________________________________.
52. TheVolcanicExplosivityIndex(VEI)isusedtoclassifyeruptionsinto8differentvarieties.Which
ofthefollowingareusedtodeterminetheVEI.
a. Volumeofmaterialerupted
b. Heightoftheeruptioncolumn
c. Durationoferuption
d. Numberofdeathsassociatedwiththeeruption
e. Numberofbuildings,roads,andotherstructuresdestroyedduringtheeruption
53. ThescaleoftheVEIis
a. Exponential
b. Geometrical
c. Logarithmic
d. Additive
e. Holistic
54. TheVEIforanHawaiitypeeruptionis(pickallthatmightapply)
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3
e. 4
f. 5
g. 6
h. 7
i. 8
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page7
55. TheVEIforaStromboliantypeeruptionis(pickallthatmightapply)
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3
e. 4
f. 5
g. 6
h. 7
i. 8
56. TheVEIforaVolcaniantypeeruptionis(pickallthatmightapply)
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3
e. 4
f. 5
g. 6
h. 7
i. 8
57. TheVEIforaPliniantypeeruptionis(pickallthatmightapply)
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3
e. 4
f. 5
g. 6
h. 7
i. 8
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page8
58. TheVEIforanUltrapliniantypeeruptionis(pickallthatmightapply)
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3
e. 4
f. 5
g. 6
h. 7
i. 8
59. Hawaiiantypeeruptionstypicallyinvolvehighly__________low___________basalticlava.
60. Inwhattypesoferuptionswouldyouexpecttoseelavafountaining?
61. Inwhattypeoferuptionwouldyouexpecttohearintermittentexplosionssometimescalled
burps.
62. Whichofthefollowingtypesoferuptionstypicallyinvolveandesitictodaciticmagmaandresult
inexplosiveeruptionswithcolumnsreaching5to10kilometersinheight?
a. Hawaiian
b. Strombolian
c. Volcanian
d. Plinian
e. Ultraplinan
63. Whichofthefollowingtypesoferuptionsarecharacterizedbylargeexplosiveeventsthatform
darkeruptioncolumnsoftephraandgasthatextendintothestratosphereandcanlastfrom
hourstodays?Theycommonlyformfromvolatilerichdacitictorhyoliticmagma,andinvolve
thewidespreaddispersaloftephra,andpyroclasticflowsornueesardentes.
a. Hawaiian
b. Strombolian
c. Volcanian
d. Plinian
e. Ultraplinan
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page9
64. Whichofthefollowingproducesaneruptioncolumnthatreaches45kilometersormoreinto
theatmosphere?
a. Hawaiian
b. Strombolian
c. Volcanian
d. Plinian
e. Ultraplinan
Answers
1. Theconvergingside
2. Thedivergingside
3. Theyarelonglinearchainsofvolcanoeslyingalongtheleadingedgeoflithosphericplates
4. Intraoceanicislandarcsdeveloponeleadingedgesofoceaniclithospherewhilecontinental
marginislandarcsdevelopontheleadingedgesofcontinentallithosphere
5. Yes,northernmostCaliforniaformspartofacontinentalmarginislandarcsystem.Mount
Shastaisanexampleofastratovolcanowithinthatislandarcsystem.
6. Strato(orcomposite),shield,andcindercone
7. lava,pyroclastic
8. Stratovolcanoesarecomposedmostlyofintermediate(andesitic)compositionlavaand
pyroclasticlayersthoughflowsandpyroclasticlayersofmafic(basaltic)torhyolitic(silicic)
compositionalsooccur.
9. Basaltic
10. Hawaii
11. Cindercones
12. Stratovolcanoes.Asynonymoustermiscompositevolcano.
13. 45degrees
14. Itwilllengthen
15. Itwillshorten
16. Itmelts
17. Theboundarybetweenthemantleandthecrust
18. c.Pondingandd.Underplating
19. Subvolcanicmagmachamber
20. c.Intraplatesettings
21. c.Yellowstoneandd.Hawaii
22. Itwouldmelt
23. Elongate
24. b.Africanplate,c.Arabianmicroplate,ande.Somalianmicroplate
25. young
26. a.Magmaeffusesoutoffissurestoformfloodbasalts,b.Magmaeffusesoutofacentralventto
formlargeshieldvolcanoes,andc.Magmaexplosivelyeruptstoformlargestratovolcanoes
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page10
27. Eventually,thelandoftheEastAfricanRiftSystemwillsubsidebeneaththeIndianOcean,and
willbereplacedbyamidoceanridge.
28. Flow
29. Itincreases
30. Rhyoliticmagmaismoreviscousthanbothbasalticandandesiticmagma
31. Thehydratedparcel
32. Confiningpressureisthepressureproducedbytheweightoftheoverlyingcolumnofrock.It
willincreasewithdepth.
33. Theabilityofamaterialtodissolveintoasolution
34. Itincreaseswithdepth,i.e.,confiningpressure
35. Thisphrasemeansthatthevolatilescameoutofsolutionasanindependentseparable
component.Inotherwordstheydidnotremaindissolvedinthesolution.
36. Equalto
37. Vaporphase,confiningpressure
38. c.Firstboiling
39. d.Secondboiling
40. d.vesiculation
41. c.Kilauea,Hawaii
42. (A)Umbrellaregion,(B)Convectivethrustregion,(C)Gasthrustregion,(D)Vesiculationregion,
(E)Fragmentationsurface,(F)Exsolutionsurface
43. b.75%
44. fragmentationsurface
45. Thecloudoftephra,gas,androckfragmentsblastedoutofavolcano
46. d.Gasthrustregion
47. b.Convectivethrustregion
48. a.Umbrellaregion
49. d.Ashfalldeposits
50. Ashfalltuff.Ashfalllapillistone.
51. Pyroclasticflow/nueesardentes
52. a.Volumeoferuptedmaterial,b.Heightoftheeruptioncolumn,andc.Durationoferuption
53. c.Logarithmic
54. a.0
55. b.1andc.2
56. c.2,d.3,ande.4
57. d.3,e.4,f.5,andg.6
58. g.6,h.7,andi.8
59. fluid,viscosity
60. Hawaiianandstrombolian
61. Strombolian
62. c.Volcanian
63. d.Plinian
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page11
64. e.Ultraplinain
fromPerilousEarth:UnderstandingProcessesBehindNaturalDisasters,ver.1.0,June,2009
byG.H.Girty,DepartmentofGeologicalSciences,SanDiegoStateUniversity Page12