The kinds of material ejected by a volcano depend greatly on the type and intensity of the eruption. Some eruptions are quiet and pour out only a limited mount of materials while other may be of extreme violence, shooting many kilometers into the air and pouring out a great variety of materials.
Generally speaking the materials are of the following types:
Lava: Molten magma, which escapes on to the earth's surface, is termed lava. It is red hot in color and may have a temperature of over 1000 Celsius. Highly fluid lava flows rapidly down the slope and travels over longer distanes. Viscous lava flows more slowly down the slope and solidifies at a shorter distance.
Rock fragments: these include volcanic bombs, cinders, pyroclasts, ashes, volcanic tuff, volcanic dust and other rock debris.
Gas: large quantities of as are poured out in a volcanic eruption in the form of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulphur and other rare gases which can be seen during the eruption. When hot magma comes into contact with the air in the atmosphere, it becomes steam. When it is mixed with gases and dust, it becomes black smoke that goes up with the spectacular fiery clouds in eruption.
Generally speaking the materials are of the following types:
Lava: Molten magma, which escapes on to the earth's surface, is termed lava. It is red hot in color and may have a temperature of over 1000 Celsius. Highly fluid lava flows rapidly down the slope and travels over longer distanes. Viscous lava flows more slowly down the slope and solidifies at a shorter distance.
Rock fragments: these include volcanic bombs, cinders, pyroclasts, ashes, volcanic tuff, volcanic dust and other rock debris.
Gas: large quantities of as are poured out in a volcanic eruption in the form of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, sulphur and other rare gases which can be seen during the eruption. When hot magma comes into contact with the air in the atmosphere, it becomes steam. When it is mixed with gases and dust, it becomes black smoke that goes up with the spectacular fiery clouds in eruption.
