Lava Lake Information
Lava lakes are large volumes of molten lava, usually basaltic, contained in a volcanic vent, crater, or broad depression. The term is used to describe both lava lakes that are wholly or partly molten and those that are solidified[citation needed]. Lava lakes can form in three ways:[1]
- From one or more vents in a crater that erupts enough lava to partially fill the crater
- When lava pours into a crater or broad depression and partially fills the crater
- Atop a new vent that erupts lava continuously for a period of several weeks or more and slowly builds a crater higher and higher above the surrounding ground.
As of 2010[update] there were five volcanoes with persistent lava lakes in the world[2]:
- Erta Ale, Ethiopia
- Mount Erebus, Antarctica
- Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
- Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Marum, Ambrym, Vanuatu
See also
- Villarrica, Chile
References
- ^ http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/images/pglossary/LavaLake.php Lava lake - USGS
- ^ On the Volcanoes of the World Episode 1: The Horn of Africa http://science.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=48.15734.125515.36287.x
This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Geological Survey document "VHP Photo Glossary: Lava lake" by the Volcano Hazards Program.
External links
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lava lakes |
- Lava lake in Nyiragongo Volcano crater. Video on France 24 TV
- Into the mouth of a volcano, video footage of lava lake in Vanuatu's Marum volcano
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