Volcanology



Volcanology is the study of the Earth's volcanic activity, processes, products and causes. In this course, we will cover the basics of volcanoes. Our textbook is the Wikibook on volcanoes.

Pretest
This pretest is meant to assess your skills in the topic of volcanology. You will have Multiple Choice, Written Questions, and Fill-In-The-Blanks. It is not a formal test, simply a light-hearted way to begin your course. Answers after each section.

Multiple Choice

 * What is a volcano?
 * 1) A plain that has lots of earthquakes
 * 2) A mountain that erupts periodically with lava and ash
 * 3) A mountain that has lots of earthquakes
 * In which region can you find lots of volcanoes?
 * 1) The Eastern Seaboard (U.S.)
 * 2) Southern Germany
 * 3) The 'Ring of Fire'
 * 4) The Midwest (U.S.)
 * What are Pyroclastic Flows mainly comprised of?
 * 1) Magma
 * 2) Gas and debris
 * 3) Volatiles

Written Questions

 * 1) Name a volcano in Indonesia.
 * 2) Name two volcanoes in the Philippines.
 * 3) Name a volcano in New Zealand.

Fill in the Blanks

 * 1) Hawaiian volcanoes are __________ volcanoes.

Hotspots
A hotspot is a plume of magma that travels through a stable section of crust. They are different than magma that arises from plate boundaries, as they weaken the crust that might have been weak in the first place.

Hotspots are stationary, unlike other magma sources. This means that as the continents shift they move over these hotspots causing volcanoes. An example of a hotspot are the islands of Hawaii. The moving plate has formed a chain of islands which is also an indicator of which way the plate is shifting.


 * Information on the Hawaiian hotspot from the USGS