Ben's Original Idea

I believe there should be increased research for stemming the potentially hazardous affects of volcanoes. For example, an Indonesian Monogentic Field volcano erupted a year or so ago, swamping hundreds of square kilometres of farming land with mudflows along rivers. In order to stop the continuous flow of lava, the Indonesian authorities dropped giant concrete balls down the volcanic vents (not sure how it worked). Some may call volcanoes, "mother nature", but there are many locations around the world where large populations are situated near an active volanco. Thus, I believe it is essential for enhanced study in preventing the devastation a volcano typically does.

Awareness

Due to the immense unpredictability of volcanoes, recent advances in volcano awareness have significantly improved warnings of potential volcanic eruptions. It is important to practice emergency responses and implement a volcano emergency plan within the community you live in (assuming you live in a potentially hazardous area).

This is the eruption of the famous volcano, Mt. St Helens.

What is a Volcano?

Volcanoes are often known as openings in the Earth's surface, allowing molten rock, ash and gases to come up from beneath the surface. Over a long period of time, or series of eruptions, a large hill or mountain will develop. Volcanoes usually occur along two tectonic plates, which constantly grind against each other, causing weak spots on the Earth's surface and making it easier for magma to flow through.

How do volcanoes form?

Volcanoes are typically formed when the tectonic plates go against each other, causing the earth to heat and melts rock into magma and gases. The magma will be stored in chambers near the surface. Volcanoes can also form by the tectonic plates moving away from each other. In this case, magma will push up and form lava although it won't reach the surface. Instead, the volcano will be found on the ocean floor.

Sometimes volcanoes aren't even formed by the tensions in tectonic plates, but by hotspots. Hotspots are places where the mantle heats up, causing magma to bubble and move to the surface. It is widely believed by scientists that these volcanoes are formed by columns called mantles plumes.

What kinds of Volcanoes are there?

Most visualise a volcano as a large mountain with lava pouring down the sides, although there are several different formations of volcanoes. These are some of them:

• Shield Volcanoes - Are the largest volcanoes on Earth and erup with a fine, lava fluid. Hence these volcanoes are not steep, but very low-lying. Rarely do they erupt with such ferociousness, but with the exception of water entering the lava vent.


• Strato Volcanoes - These volcanoes are most common, making up 60% of the world's individual volcanoes. A well known characteristic of these volcanoes is that the viscous lavas allow gas pressures to build up and eventually resulting in a catastrophic eruption.


• Rhyolite Caldera Complexes - Despite not looking anything like a typical volcano, Rhyolite Caldera Complexes create the most explosive eruptions. The reason being, is because these volcanoes have such gigantic magma chambers, that when they erupt, they'll usually collapse on itself. The result of these volcanoes will be huge deposits of ash which will extend for thousands of square kilometres. Luckily, our Earth hasn't experienced such an eruption since A.D. 83.


• Monogenetic Fields - These don't exactly look like the typical volcanoes we often see, rather, they contain hundred or even thousands of vents and flows. This is due to a lack of, or a slow rate of magma supply. A monogenetic field is basically one volcano having separate eruptions over a large area.

• Mid-ocean ridges - These volcanoes form along the earth's oceanic plates, or ridges. These ridges were initially formed by the convection in the upper mantles. Lava is then able to intrude through these ridges, hence pushing the oceanic plates apart. Sometimes this causes small scale earthquakes.

Tower Hill

As a matter of fact, Ben's home in Australia lies just 5km from an extinct volcano called, "Tower Hill". Tower Hill last erupted 8,000 years ago when magma rose to the surface of a lake, creating a magnificent explosion. Today, the lasting imprints of this volcano are clearly visible. This extinct volcano is a perfect example of a cinder cone volcano. Tower Hill is one of many dozens of extinct and dormant volcanoes throughout the states of Victoria and South Australia.