EARTHSC 1121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Mount Vesuvius, Subduction, Oceanic Crust
23 Mar 2017
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Document Summary
Volcanic eruptions & the formation of igneous rocks. An erupting vent through which molten rock surfaces. Volcanoes are a clear result of tectonic activity. Volcanoes pose a number of hazards to humans, A record of roman life was preserved under ash. Provide highly productive soils to feed a civilization. Can extinguish a civilization in a matter of minutes. Our atmosphere today is mostly nitrogen and oxygen. Because eruptions spew carbon into the air, we know that there must be a means to draw down the carbon from the atmosphere. Plate motion is a dominant control on volcanism. Volcanic types are linked to tectonic settings. Hot spots--where mantle plumes cut the lithosphere. Hot spot and mid-ocean ridge volcanoes ooze their lava. Seems like the most obvious way, but actually the least common source. Bringing hot rock that is hot but under a lot of pressure and bringing it to a land.
