Volcanic hazards

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

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/volcanic-hazards

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 primary hazard mechanisms?Magmatic pressure, gas exsolution, density contrasts, gravitational instability
2. What is the key monitoring techniques?Seismology, geodetic measurements (GPS, tiltmeters), gas geochemistry, thermal imaging, satellite remote sensing
3. What happens when a volcano erupts with a lot of gas and silica?When a volcano has a lot of gas and silica, it can erupt explosively. This creates violent blasts that break up the magma and rock, sending hot ash and fast-moving pyroclastic flows.
4. How can lava flows be dangerous to people and buildings?Lava flows move slowly but can cover roads, houses, and farms. They melt or cover everything in their path, changing the landscape.

Viscosity: A fluid's resistance to flow; thicker magma is more viscous.
Stratigraphy: The study of rock layers and layering, used to reconstruct past volcanic activity.
Tephra: Fragmental material ejected from a volcano, ranging in size from fine ash to volcanic bombs.