Volcanoes are amazing geological structures that arouse the interest of many when they begin to erupt. In itself, it is very curious how such a structure is capable of expelling huge volumes of lava and it is even more curious to understand when and why they erupt. To satisfy a little more curiosity about volcanoes, in this Green Ecologist article we will dedicate ourselves to explaining the parts of a volcano and also the materials that these expel when erupting. If it is of your interest, we invite you to continue reading.
If you wonder how many parts does a volcano haveWe could say that in general terms volcanoes have 6 parts, but many more could be detailed. To order its parts, we will start from its lowest part, the magmatic chamber. This can be defined as a huge deposit at great depths where magma accumulates, which is the molten rock mass that during an eruption rises to the surface.
Here you can learn much more about what magma is, types, where it is found and how it is formed.
The fireplace is nothing but the conduit connecting the magma chamber to the outside. Then, during a volcanic eruption, magma rises to the surface through this conduit. Due to the enormous pressure generated by the magma as it rises, it sometimes breaks fragments of rock from the chimney and carries them with it during the eruption.
The volcanic cone is a product of the accumulation of solidified lava from successive eruptions that occurred over time. Depending on the number of eruptions that have occurred, the volcanic cone can vary in thickness and size. In addition, depending on the type of lava that has been expelled, different types of cones originate, which ultimately give rise to the types of volcanoes:
In turn, there are secondary cones of a volcano, which are formations caused by the accumulation of solidified lava on the main cone. These have in their interior a secondary chimney, connected to the main chimney and, from them, lava is also expelled.
We also recommend reading this other post about the different types of volcanoes according to different classifications.
The fissures are cracks or crevices found in the volcanic cone for which there are also expel the lava. They originate from the rupture generated by the powerful pressure exerted by gases and magma when they erupt.
The crater is the opening at the top of the volcano. Thanks to this hole, during the eruption the lava, gases and other volcanic materials reach the outside. Although craters are usually rounded and have a large perimeter, each volcano has a unique crater in shape and size. Even a volcano can present more than one crater, as is the case of volcanoes with secondary cones which typically culminate in a crater known as a lateral crater.
It is a column formed by gases and pyroclastic materials that are expelled from a volcano and can be viewed above the main crater and the side craters. Due to the great pressure with which these gases are expelled, the column can acquire a kilometer height. In general, the eruptive column is perfectly observed just before the volcano begins to erupt.
Learn about the Types of volcanic eruptions by reading this other article.
The materials expelled by a volcano should not be confused with its parts. However, thanks to the different types of materials and their characteristics, various types of volcanoes originate. Although all the materials expelled by a volcano are usually grouped under the term magma, in reality, a somewhat more detailed classification can be made.
Now that you have learned all this about the parts of volcanoes and the materials they expel in their eruptions, we recommend that you continue learning about them with these other articles on How volcanoes are formed, the Difference between magma and lava (you can also see the video below on this topic) and The most dangerous volcanoes in the world.
If you want to read more articles similar to Parts of a volcanoWe recommend that you enter our Nature Curiosities category.
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