A Lava Plateau, such as the Deccan Traps, is formed by fissure eruptions. In this process, highly fluid basaltic lava emerges from long cracks or fractures in the Earth’s crust rather than a single central vent. This allows the lava ...
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The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska earned its name from the thousands of fumaroles (steam vents) that emerged after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta. These vents released hot volcanic gases and steam from the thick ash deposits. While ...
A caldera is a large, basin-like depression formed when a volcano’s summit or flank collapses into an emptied magma chamber. Unlike a crater, which is formed by the explosive ejection of material, a caldera is a structural failure caused by ...
The cup-shaped or funnel-shaped opening at the top of a volcano is called a crater. It is the vent through which magma, ash and gases are ejected during an eruption. Craters are formed by the explosive removal of the volcano’s ...
A laccolith is a “positive” landform created by intrusive volcanic activity. It is a mushroom-shaped body of magma that intrudes between rock layers, forcing the overlying strata to dome upward. While it forms underground, erosion eventually removes the softer surface ...