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
Teaching approaches
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1 approach
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?
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
Learning resources
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This concept
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