Emily Cardoso and Gerrit Fahr

Mr. Holler
Scientific Tech and Visual 1
11 May 2015
Volcanoes Research Paper
When most people think of volcanoes, they imagine a great mountain
spewing out lava. As this might be technically true in some forms, the
spewing behind the great mountain is much more complex process.
In a more general view, a volcano is a place on a planet where
materials come out from the inside of the planet and reach the planets
surface. This material from the inside is most commonly known as magma,
or fluid molten rock. The magma is partially liquid, solid, and also gaseous.
The partiality of this magma comes from Earths different layers: the core,
the mantle, and the outer crust.
First off, we have the core. The core is simple and is actually exactly
what it sounds like, which is the central or innermost part of the Earth. Then
there is the outer crust where we live. It is fairly thin in comparison to the
other layers. Underneath the outer crust is the largest layer, the mantle.
Since there is extreme pressure that lays deep inside the planet, the mantle
typically stays in solid form and does not melt even though it is dangerously

hot. Although, in certain situations this layer does melt, creating the magma
that will eventually go to the outer crust.
Another main way magma is formed is through a theory called plate
tectonics. Plate tectonics were discovered in the 1960s and hold the
lithosphere, a layer of firm material composed of the outer crust and the top
of the mantle. Divisions of the plates create seven larger plates and smaller
plates. The plates wander over the mantle creating activity at the boundary
between some of the layers and also serving as a primary stimulus for the
production of magma.
Once magma has been formed, it continues to flow and drift through
the crust and plates of planet Earth. Volcanic activity begins to stir and come
into play as the molten rock mixes with the material that is contained in the
crust. The magma continues to move through the crust unless its upward
physical force surpasses the downward pressure of the solid rock that it
surrounds. If this happens, magma is collected in magma chambers below
the Earths surface and lava begins to come into the picture. In this situation,
the molten rock then forms a volcano and the orientation of the volcano is
dependent primarily on the makeup of the magma.
In order for a volcano to erupt, the gases of the molten rock need to
have a greater confined pressure than the vapor pressure of the gas.
Generally, the erupting force will come from the internal gas pressure. With
that said, it is important that the material is balanced to where the confined

pressure is greater than the vapor pressure to start. Once the balance shifts
and the vapor pressure then becomes greater, the gasses are able to expand
and form gas bubbles in the magma. These bubbles begin to escape the
layers and push the magma out, causing an eruption to occur.
Not only is this process extremely complex, but it can also be very
dangerous. The mountainous structures hold great pressure that continue to
build up until it finally erupts. The pressure is so strong that the danger areas
around a volcano cover about a twenty mile radius. After the eruptions, there
are severe long-term effects on the climate, people, and environment as a
whole.
When a volcano erupts, the weather changes and can cause rain,
thunder, and lightning. The world can suddenly become cooler or warmer as
the climate is impacted after an eruption. Gases like sulfur dioxide can cause
this cooling in the atmosphere, while carbon dioxide can actually cause
global warming. These different gasses all have different effects on our
climate. Whether global cooling results, or global warming, the atmosphere is
impacted greatly.
With fumes and gasses spewing everywhere, the air begins to get
polluted, making it hard for people, plants, and animals to perspire. There
have been millions of people who have died because of the thick and falling
ash getting in the way of their breathing. People need clean air to keep a
healthy respiratory system in check. With ash spewing out and around their

air ways, they do not get the sufficient amount of oxygen needed to live.
Fast-moving lava, fires, earthquakes, and famine have all resulted from
volcanoes and have also caused the death of many lives. The eruptions are
severe and have endangered many lives.
Scientists have gone through tremendous measures to try and predict
when a volcano is going to erupt. They do these tests to try and keep the
environment safe. Typically after a big volcano, the environment is put into
ruins. Plants die, people die, animals die, houses are destroyed, fields are
covered with molten rock, and trees are burned down. It is difficult for a
volcanologists to predict when a volcano is going to erupt, but theyve gotten
better and are working hard to prevent the overall environments from being
destroyed.

Volcanic Gases

5%

9%

12%

74%

Water Vapor

Carbon Dioxide

Nitrogen

Other Gases

This graph displays the main gases that are let out into the atmosphere after
a volcanic eruption. As shown above, a majority of the gas composition from
volcanoes is water vapor. Other main gases include carbon dioxide, nitrogen,
and other gases like sulfur. These main gases have the greatest impacts on
the climate, people, and environment.