Erruptions at Old Faithful Geyser

Located in the southwest corner of Yellowstone park lays the Old Faithful Geyser. A cone shaped geyser that erupts "faithfully" every 35 to 120 minutes. "Eruptions can shoot 3,700 to 8,400 US gallons (14,000 to 32,000 L) of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet (32 to 56 m) lasting from 1.5 to 5 minutes. The average height of an eruption is 145." There is evidence of many other geysers on thw floorof Yellowstone lake, and have been doing so approximately 1300 years ago.

With no prolonged periods of inactivity the volcano has continuously built up on itself. The last major eruption took place in 1790 and killed many people and animals, but numbers are unknown4. Starting in 1983 there was a chain of several eruptions that started and have yet to stop pushing lava through a lava tube till it reaches the Pacific Ocean. Over a span of twenty year the flow has

Assess the extent to which primary rather than secondary impacts are the more serious effects arising from volcanic eruptions. (30 marks)

Apparently, it was just getting ready to erupt and I couldn’t stop smiling. This was going to be the highlight of my trip and I already knew it. “Alright kids,” My mother started, “You guys can get out now.” I opened the car door as fast as I possibly could and practically jumped out of the car. There were benches surrounding a large spot on the ground and people were surrounding them. My family walked over to the benches and sat down on one. After a couple of minutes, Old Faithful was getting ready to erupt. Next thing we knew, a massive gush of water exploded from within the Earth. My jaw fell down to my feet as I stared at the magnificent thing I was witnessing. This was something straight out of a science fiction movie, but somehow it was real

Analyse the factors that causes differences in the hazards posed by volcanoes around the world (40 marks)

Another well-known geological phenomenon in the United States is Yellowstone Park. Yellowstone is an extraordinary example of a caldera which is defined as “a volcanic crater that has a diameter many times that of the vent and is formed by collapse of the central part of a volcano or by explosions of extraordinary violence”(USGS). Since Yellowstone is a caldera, it means that there had been previous volcanic eruptions in this area and in this case two eruptions. The first explosion happened over 2,000,000 years ago because the composition of the magma contained vast traces of explosive matter that caused the eruption (USGS). The second incident happened around

Lately, much open consideration has concentrated on the way that Yellowstone sits with on leg on each side of one of the world's biggest dynamic volcanic frameworks. Addresses routinely emerge as to the probability of a volcanic emission in Yellowstone and the effect of such an ejection.

The blast was preceded by two months of intense activity that included over 10,000 earthquakes, hundreds of small phreatic (steam blasts) , explosions and the north side bulge. A magnitude 5.1 earthquake below the volcano at 8:32 am started the eruption. MSH is still a potentially dangerous and active volcano even though it has been quiet since 1995. In the last 515 years there have been four major eruptions and dozens of lesser eruptions. Two of the eruptions were only two years apart. In 1480, the eruption was about five times larger than the one in May 1980. There have been even larger eruptions during MSH' 50,000 year lifetime. After the May 18, 1980 eruption, there have been five smaller explosive eruptions over a five month period. Since then, there have been 16 dome building eruptions through October 1986 when the new dome in the crater was formed. As the mountain was torn open, the pressure in inside was suddenly relieved. The rock shattered inside the mountain was exploded out the top at speeds over 200 miles per hour. The blast was so strong that it leveled whole forest of fir trees. Geologist call this a "stone wind" since the winds carried the rocks form the blast with them. The rocks gave the winds extra force that let them flatten the trees. 150 square miles of land was leveled. The edges of this area also lost their forested areas from the heat of the blast and the fires it caused. The original blast of the

Lava flows of rhyolite and basalt have flowed through parts of Yellowstone as recently as 70,000 years ago. These lava flows destroyed everything in their paths while moving slowly at a rate of a few hundred feet per day, flowing months, or sometimes even several years. They are thick and cover as much as 130 square miles. They have nearly filled the Yellowstone Caldera, and spilled beyond the caldera’s border. These lava flows are responsible for forming four of the nine named plateaus in

This Hawaii Volcano has erupted 33 times since 1843. Its most recent eruption was in 1984. The 1984 eruption lasted from March 25 to April 15. Before the eruption, increasing seismic activity could be felt on the island. During the eruption, many lava flows were produced, but fortunately, no lava reached the city of Hilo (“1984 Eruption”). There is a high likelihood that Mauna Loa will erupt again someday, so the volcano is closely monitored.

The remote location and weather with very limited visibility, just a few inhabitants, may and probably have allowed some of the older eruptions to go unconfirmed. (Before their were not many people living in this area)

that the volcano must be classified as dormant rather than extinct. Moreover, the unexpected 1995 eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano on Montserrat, situated in the same volcanic arc, demonstrates that continuous awareness of the associated hazards is required.

Moreover, scientists have learned that the timing and season of the eruption played an important role in the survival and re-growth of the ecosystem. For example, Nocturnal animals were still below ground which helped them survive,

Ash plumes and steam rose into the bright blue sky as the underground earthquake shook the land and rattled windows all across the eighteen mile town. As the jet circled the island, in view of lovely beaches and emerald water, looming over this lush paradise was the screaming volcano. Volcanos erupt when the pressure inside of them becomes so great that the magma surges up and forces its way out. An exploding volcano can rip apart a mountain in just seconds, when the eruption is over, a landscape is changed forever. The united states is home to more volcanos than any other country except Indonesia, and Japan. The majority of these volcanoes are in Alaska. Until recently, there was no way to predict when a volcano would blow, although volcanoes give off many warning signs before they erupt. Including smaller earthquakes beneath the volcano, slight inflation, or swelling. The rising magma eventually causes the solid rock to break, sending earthquake signals. Most volcanoes give warning signs beginning weeks or months before they blow (Lindop).

This is only a general overview of the inner workings of volcanoes and their eruptions. For more infomation, visit Volcano World -- The Premier Source of Volcano Info on the Web.