The Wonder Book of Volcanoes and Earthquakes — John Shaqi
The Wonder Book of Volcanoes and EarthquakesHouston, Edwin J. (Edwin James)
Science
The Wonder Book of Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Houston, Edwin J. (Edwin James)
Earthquakes; Volcanoes
Since practically the whole of Hawaii has been formed from the streams
of lava that have flowed at one time or another, you can understand
how great these flows must have been. But to do this fully you must
not only take into consideration the portions of the island that
lie above the ocean and reach into the air at its greatest height
to 13,805 feet above its surface, you must also remember that this
mountain rises from a deep ocean, so that if all the water were
removed, you would see Hawaii towering up above the former level
of the sea to the height of about 31,000 feet, or higher than Mt.
Everest, the highest point on the earth above the present sea level.
This would be, approximately, five and eight-tenths miles. You can
understand, therefore, how great the flow of lava must have been.
We shall begin the description of Hawaii with the active volcano of
Mt. Loa, or, as it is sometimes called in Hawaii, "The White Mountain."
You will remember that the eruption of Krakatoa was of the explosive
type. Practically no melted rock or lava escaped from the crater.
Indeed, if it had escaped it would not have been seen; for, not only
the cone near the crater, but also much of the mountain itself was
blown completely out of sight and covered by the waters of the ocean.
The eruptions of Mt. Loa are of an entirely different type. In Loa
there are no explosions, the eruptions being what are called the
non-explosive or quiet volcanic eruption type. It will be necessary to
explain some of the peculiarities of this kind of eruptions.
There is a great difference in the liquidity or the ease with which
different kinds of lava flow. Some lava is very thick or viscid,
or is sticky like thick molasses or tar, and therefore flows very
sluggishly. Other lava is thin or mobile, more closely resembling
water in the ease with which it flows. Now, in the case of a volcanic
mountain of fairly considerable height, where the lava possesses
marked liquidity, the lava as it rises from great depths in the tube
of the volcano seldom flows over the top or rim of the crater. This is
not because the force that brings the lava up is unable to carry it
a few thousand feet higher, so that it can run over the brim of the
crater, but because the walls of the volcanic mountains are unable to
stand the great pressure which the mass of liquid lava exerts against
their sides.
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