Mount Pelée

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mount-pel-e

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Northern Martinique, Lesser Antilles volcanic arc
2. What is the volcanic system?Subduction-related stratovolcano
3. Why did the eruption in 1902 happen?Before the eruption, Mount Pelée released ash, gases, and tremors. A lava dome formed inside the crater, and then a big explosion blew the summit away.
4. How fast and hot was the pyroclastic flow?The pyroclastic flow moved faster than 160 kilometers per hour (about 100 miles per hour). It was also extremely hot, reaching temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,832 degrees Fahrenheit).

Stratovolcano: A large, conical volcano composed of alternating layers of hardened lava, ash, and volcanic debris.
Pyroclastic Flow: A fast-moving current of superheated gas, ash, and rock fragments ejected from a volcano.
Subduction Zone: An area where one tectonic plate slides beneath another, often leading to volcanic activity.
Nuée Ardente: French term for a 'glowing cloud,' referring to a destructive pyroclastic flow.