Eruption Types & Volcano Shape
Understand that not all volcanic eruptions are the same: some flow gently (effusive) and some explode violently (explosive), depending on the properties of the magma, and that volcano shape is related to eruption type
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Check understanding
- Contrast effusive eruptions (gentle lava flows) with explosive eruptions (violent blasts of ash and rock)
- Explain that eruption type depends on properties of the magma such as thickness and gas content
- Connect volcano shape to eruption style: shield volcanoes from runny lava, steep cones from thick explosive magma
“If your child compared pictures of a gently oozing Hawaiian volcano and a violently erupting one like Mount St Helens, could they explain why eruptions look so different and how that relates to the volcano's shape?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Volcanoes & Earthquakes
- Age range
- Ages 9–11