Types of volcanic eruptions

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

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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/types-of-volcanic-eruptions

1. What is the difference between an effusive and an explosive volcanic eruption?
2. What are Hawaiian style eruptions and what do they look like?

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 difference between an effusive and an explosive volcanic eruption?Effusive eruptions happen when low‑viscosity basaltic magma lets gas escape easily, creating lava flows and fountains. Explosive eruptions occur when high‑viscosity, silica‑rich magma traps gas, causing it to burst into ash and bombs.
2. What are Hawaiian style eruptions and what do they look like?Hawaiian eruptions are a type of effusive eruption that produce gentle lava flows and occasional fire fountains, giving the islands their famous smooth, flowing lava.

Gas Exsolution: The process by which dissolved gases separate from a liquid, forming bubbles, as pressure decreases.
Pyroclastic Density Current: A fast-moving, gravity-driven current of hot gas and volcanic debris that flows down the flank of a volcano.
Volcanic Dome: A mound-shaped protrusion resulting from the slow extrusion of highly viscous lava.