Types of Volcanoes
Composite Volcanoes:
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Rotating layers of lava and rock pieces form composite volcanoes, which is why they are known as "composite". These volcanoes are also known as stratovolcanoes, and are cone shaped. Lava usually flows out of fissures in the side of the volcano or erupts out the crater at the top of the volcano (sometimes both!). After each eruption, the lava flowing down the side of a composite volcano hardens, reinforcing the shape of the volcano and strengthening the cone. Composite volcanoes will erode over the years if they become dormant or extinct. These volcanoes may be explosive or flowing.
Cinder Cone Volcanoes:
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Cinder cone volcanoes are roughly circular in shape with a bowl shaped crater at their summit. These volcanoes are very common and don’t cause as much destruction and damage as other volcanoes do. Eruptions by cinder cone volcanoes usually consist of ash, hardening lava (that later become “cinders”), rock fragments, and dust being spewed out of a central vent in the volcano’s crater. The dust, ash, and cinder falls around the vent to make a cone shape, giving the volcano its name “Cinder Cone”.
Shield Volcanoes:
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Shield volcanoes consist of many layers of runny, flowing lava that is released out of groups of vents or a central vent, which is why they are sometimes called “oozing volcanoes”. They are only explosive if water gets into their vents. Some eruptions cause lava to flow from long fissures that keep pouring out magma to flood the surrounding land. This results in the creation of new and higher land called plateaus after the magma has cooled. Shield volcanoes have a gentle sloping shape, almost looking like a flat cone, resulting the lava to flow for long distances down the volcano and giving the volcano its shield like shape.
Lava Dome Volcanoes:
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Lava dome volcanoes are sloped inwards at their peak, preventing the lava from flowing too far out of the volcano, forming a dome shape in the middle of the volcanic crater after the magma has cooled. The dome grows from within and becomes larger with each eruption until the lava flows out of the crater and accompanies the volcanic ash to cause devastating damage. Lava dome volcanoes aren’t as explosive or fast flowing as other volcanoes, but they cause immense damage to their surrounding area when the dome erupts.
Minerals and Gems from Volcanoes
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– Bauxite, which is basically aluminum ore, is used in pots, pans, foil, dishes, pop cans, vehicle parts, various household appliances, and many more things we use in our daily life.
– Nickel is used in coins, shipbuilding, stainless steel, batteries and other kinds of equipment.
– Gold is used in jewelry, art, silver, copper, nickel, zinc, titanium, and just about anything to make an item, even if it contains only a tiny amount of gold.
– Diamonds are used in drill bits (to reinforce them), diamond tools, glasscutters, surgical tools, gems, jewelry, and other various items that require this strong metal as a cutter or just for beautiful display.
– Obsidian is a type of mineral/crystal that has been formed from immediately cooled magma so it hasn’t fully become stone. Obsidian looks like glass, and because of its sharpness and beauty it can be used to make various tools and weapons (prehistoric humans and the natives used obsidian for this), jewelry, gems, and other ornaments or religious symbols.
– Nickel is used in coins, shipbuilding, stainless steel, batteries and other kinds of equipment.
– Gold is used in jewelry, art, silver, copper, nickel, zinc, titanium, and just about anything to make an item, even if it contains only a tiny amount of gold.
– Diamonds are used in drill bits (to reinforce them), diamond tools, glasscutters, surgical tools, gems, jewelry, and other various items that require this strong metal as a cutter or just for beautiful display.
– Obsidian is a type of mineral/crystal that has been formed from immediately cooled magma so it hasn’t fully become stone. Obsidian looks like glass, and because of its sharpness and beauty it can be used to make various tools and weapons (prehistoric humans and the natives used obsidian for this), jewelry, gems, and other ornaments or religious symbols.
North American Plate
The North American Plate is a tectonic plate that covers most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia and Iceland. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia.
Canadian Volcanoes (North American Plate)
Mount Garibaldi– which last erupted in 1917
Mount Baker– which last erupted 6600 years ago
Mount Meager– potentially active
Fort Selkirk– currently dormant
Alligator Lake– currently dormant
Atlin– currently dormant
Tuya– currently dormant
Heart Peaks– extinct
Level Mount– extinct
Edziza– currently dormant
Spectrum Range– extinct
Hoodoo Mount– currently dormant
Iskut-Unuk River Cones– currently dormant
Tseax Cone– currently dormant
Crow Lagoon– currently dormant
Nazko– currently dormant
Milbanke Sound– currently dormant
Satah– currently dormant
Wells Gray- Clearwater– currently dormant
Silverthrone– currently dormant
Bridge River Cones– currently dormant
~Most of these volcanoes don't pose a threat to BC, but they may erupt anytime since scientists haven't monitored them closely enough~
Mount Baker– which last erupted 6600 years ago
Mount Meager– potentially active
Fort Selkirk– currently dormant
Alligator Lake– currently dormant
Atlin– currently dormant
Tuya– currently dormant
Heart Peaks– extinct
Level Mount– extinct
Edziza– currently dormant
Spectrum Range– extinct
Hoodoo Mount– currently dormant
Iskut-Unuk River Cones– currently dormant
Tseax Cone– currently dormant
Crow Lagoon– currently dormant
Nazko– currently dormant
Milbanke Sound– currently dormant
Satah– currently dormant
Wells Gray- Clearwater– currently dormant
Silverthrone– currently dormant
Bridge River Cones– currently dormant
~Most of these volcanoes don't pose a threat to BC, but they may erupt anytime since scientists haven't monitored them closely enough~