A volcanic eruption occurs when hot materials from the Earth's interior are thrown out of a volcano. Lava, rocks, dust, and gas compounds are some of these "ejecta".
Eruptions can come from side branches or from the top of the volcano. Some eruptions are terrible explosions that throw out huge amounts of rock and volcanic ash and can kill many people. Some are quiet outflows of hot lava. Several more complex types of volcanic eruptions have been described by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of eruption has been seen. Some volcanoes may show only one type of eruption during a period of activity, while others may show a range of types in a series.
Volcanic explosivity index
The volcanic explosivity index (commonly shortened VEI) is a scale, from 0 to 8, for measuring the strength of eruptions. It is used by the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program in assessing the impact of historic and prehistoric lava flows. It operates in a way similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, in that each interval in value represents a tenfold increasing in magnitude (it is logarithmic). Most volcanic eruptions are of VEIs between 0 and 2.
Volcanic eruptions by VEI index
| VEI | Plume height | Eruptive volume * | Eruption type | Frequency ** | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | <100 m (330 ft) | 1,000 m3 (35,300 cu ft) | Hawaiian | Continuous | Kilauea |
| 1 | 100–1,000 m (300–3,300 ft) | 10,000 m3 (353,000 cu ft) | Hawaiian/Strombolian | Months | Stromboli |
| 2 | 1–5 km (1–3 mi) | 1,000,000 m3 (35,300,000 cu ft) † | Strombolian/Vulcanian | Months | Galeras (1992) |
| 3 | 3–15 km (2–9 mi) | 10,000,000 m3 (353,000,000 cu ft) | Vulcanian | Yearly | Nevado del Ruiz (1985) |
| 4 | 10–25 km (6–16 mi) | 100,000,000 m3 (0.024 cu mi) | Vulcanian/Peléan | Few years | Eyjafjallajökull (2010) |
| 5 | >25 km (16 mi) | 1 km3 (0.24 cu mi) | Plinian | 5–10 years | Mount St. Helens (1980) |
| 6 | >25 km (16 mi) | 10 km3 (2 cu mi) | Plinian/Ultra Plinian | 1,000 years | Krakatoa (1883) |
| 7 | >25 km (16 mi) | 100 km3 (20 cu mi) | Ultra Plinian | 10,000 years | Tambora (1815) |
| 8 | >25 km (16 mi) | 1,000 km3 (200 cu mi) | Supervolcanic | 100,000 years | Lake Toba (74 ka) |
| * This is the minimum eruptive volume necessary for the eruption to be considered within the category. ** Values are a rough estimate. Exceptions occur. † There is a discontinuity between the 2nd and 3rd VEI level; instead of increasing by a magnitude of 10, the value increases by a magnitude of 100 (from 10,000 to 1,000,000). |
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Related pages
Images for kids
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An example of the lava arcs formed during Strombolian activity. This image is of Stromboli itself.
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Tavurvur in Papua New Guinea erupting
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21 April 1990 eruptive column from Redoubt Volcano, as viewed to the west from the Kenai Peninsula
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Lahar flows from the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz, which totally destroyed Armero in Colombia
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Pyroclastic flows at Mayon Volcano, Philippines, 1984
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The lava spine that developed after the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée
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Mount Lamington following the devastating 1951 eruption
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Surtsey, erupting 13 days after breaching the water. A tuff ring surrounds the vent.
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The fissure formed by the 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera, an example of a fracture zone eruption
