20 Terms
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Volcano
A vent or opening in a planet's surface that lets out pressurized molten rocks or magma, and gases from the inner core. Volcanoes come in various shapes and structure, but the most common ones are mountain-like structures with a crater at the summit.
Industry: Natural environment
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Volcano
Tuff ring
Natural environment; Volcano
A wide, low-rimmed, well-bedded accumulation of hyalo-clastic debris built around a volcanic vent located in a lake, coastal zone, marsh, or area of abundant ground water.
Compound volcano
Natural environment; Volcano
A volcano that consists of a complex of two or more vents, or a volcano that has an associated volcanic dome, either in its crater or on its flanks. Examples are Vesuvius and Mont Pelee.
Continental drift
Natural environment; Volcano
The theory that horizontal movement of the earth's surface causes slow, relative movements of the continents toward or away from one another.
Compression waves
Natural environment; Volcano
Earthquake waves that move like a slinky. As the wave moves to the left, for example, it expands and compresses in the same direction as it moves.
Curtain of fire
Natural environment; Volcano
A row of coalescing lava fountains along a fissure; a typical feature of a Hawaiian-type eruption.
Craton
Natural environment; Volcano
A part of the earth's crust that has attained stability and has been little deformed for a prolonged period.
Crater
Natural environment; Volcano
A steep-sided, usually circular depression formed by either explosion or collapse at a volcanic vent.
