This is an image of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo.
Click on image for full size
Image from: U.S. Geological Survey
Eruptions
Volcanic eruptions come in many different forms. Some eruptions only contain lava and hot gas. These lavas move slowly, at walking speed or slower. Other eruptions contain lava accompanied by clouds of ash, bombs, lava fragments, as well as hot gases.
In some eruptions, ash and lava, carried by hot vapors, can pour down a volcano with speeds of about 100 miles per hour. This special type of eruption destroyed the city of St. Pierre in 1902 in a matter of minutes.
In other cases, the eruption can melt snow and ice at the peak of the volcano, and a mass of mud and lava can sweep rapidly down like a river, and destroy everything in its path.
Some famous eruptions in Earth history include Mt. Pelee, Krakatoa, Crater Lake (formerly Mt. Mazama), Mt. Vesuvius, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Pinatubo.
Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!
You might also be interested in:
How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable.
...more
Lava is the word for magma (molten rock) which is on the surface of the Earth. After being released from the magma chamber and cooling, lava hardens into rock. The term lava can describe active flows,
...more
Sometimes a cloud of ash and lava fragments can be carried through the air by hot vapors from the volcano. Such a flow is usually *very* hot, and moves *rapidly* down the slopes of a volcano. Surges of
...more
Mt. Pelee is not a very tall volcano, in fact it is an example of what is called a "lava dome". It had a big eruption in 1902 which wiped out most people in a town downslope. During the eruption, a burning
...more
Hot material from the volcano can melt snow and ice at the volcano summit and cause large mudslides which can sweep rapidly down the mountain. These mudslides destroy almost everything in their path. This
...more
One of the most powerful volcanic explosions in the history of the world occured at Krakatoa in the last century. Krakatoa was formerly a volcanic island between Java and Sumatra. In August 27, 1883, a
...more
Mt. Mazama was once among a group of volcanoes stretching along the coast of Washington and Oregon. This group of volcanoes includes Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. St. Helens. 6850 years ago, Mt. Mazama
...more
