Lesson: Volcanoes in the Philippines

This unit is about the types of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions in the Philippines. Volcanoes are a sight to
behold. But even with their magnificent natural beauty, they can cause severe damage to properties and harmful
effects to our environment like the ones that happened to our country in the past. Have you ever wondered why we
have a lot of volcanoes in this country or how these volcanoes were formed? Why do a number of a particular type
of volcanoes exist in the Philippines? When are volcanoes considered as threats to life and property?

A volcano is a landform that has a crater (or vent) for the extrusion of magma (molten materials). It is an
opening on the Earth’s surface where molten rocks, gases, and other pyroclastic materials are ejected through
the crust. Like mountains, volcanoes have distinct features like vent, magma chamber, and caldera, and among
others.
According to plate tectonics theory, convection currents in the mantle triggers the movement of the plate
boundaries which eventually causes eruptions and earthquakes near or along the edges of the plates.

Formation and Classification of Volcanoes

Volcanoes have different shapes, different styles of eruption. They release different kinds of volcanic
materials. Some erupt quietly. Volcanoes have so much energy within and around them. The heat from
volcanoes have been used for energy generation.
Unlike other mountains, volcanoes are not formed by folding or uplifting and erosion. They are built
through accumulation of their own eruptive products such as lava, ash flows, and tephra. They form when hot
magma from below rise and leak into the crust. When this happens, the magma increases the mass of the
volcano’s outer mound, causing it to bulge outward and upward and then erupts. Strong earthquakes can be
felt as the magma rises into the vents. During eruption, a volcano thrusts out a huge cloud containing gases,
water vapor, dust, and solid materials of various sizes. The solid rocks blown from the vent are called
pyroclastic debris. Volcanic ash made of millions of tiny fragments of rocks and glasses which can be carried
out in the atmosphere within great distance. When scattered in the atmosphere, cooling effect on the weather
can be observed because the ash remains in the sky and reduces the sunlight reaching the earth’s surface.
If the pressure of the magma is insufficient to cause volcanic eruption, it cools down over time and forms
hard rock increasing the mass of the volcano. Volcanoes are formed when magma accumulates in the
mountains on the Earth’s surface. Magma is contained inside a chamber located inside the mantle. High
temperatures and increased gas pressure keep on helping magma to form either in the upper crust of the
mantle or at the base of the crust. When formed volcanoes undergo several stages.

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 Features of a Volcano

Features of a volcano are almost the same as that of a mountain but with more complicated parts.

1.Cone- the most striking part of a volcano. It is usually composed of mixtures of lava and pyroclastic.
Volcano cones vary in size and shapes depending on the type of magma that is ejected by a particular
volcano.
2. Vent – the opening through which an eruption takes place. This main part of a volcano supplies the
magma from the underlying source to the top of the volcano. They can be straight or convoluted.
3.Magma Chamber- the large underground pool of liquid rock found beneath the earth’s crust. It may
have deep magma chamber many kilometers down that supplies a shallower chamber near the summit.
4.Crater- a basin-like depression over a vent at the summit of the cone.
5.Caldera- a volcanic depression much larger than the original crater. It can be created when a volcano’s
summit is blown off by exploding gases or when a volcano collapses due to a vacated magma chamber.
6.Lava- The rock or magma expelled from a volcano during eruption.
7. Dikes- the barrier or obstacles in a volcano.
8.Conduit- a channel or pipe conveying liquid materials such as magma
9. Flank- the side of a volcano.
10. Summit- the highest point or apex of a volcano

Types of Volcanoes According to Activity

A. Active volcano-A volcano is said to be active if it is currently erupting or shows signs of unrest activities
such as significant amount of gas emission or frequent seismic activities. Any activity within the past
10,000 years classifies a volcano active, because it still has a connection to a flowing lava source. The
most active volcano in the world is found in Hawaii. It is named as Kilauea and it has been erupting
continuously since 1983. In the Philippines, there are about 300 volcanoes in the Philippines. Twenty-
three (23) of these are active while the larger percentage remains dormant as of the record. The
majority of the active volcanoes are located in the island of Luzon. The six most active volcanoes are
Mt. Mayon, Hibok-Hibok, Pinatubo, Taal, Kanlaon and Bulusan.

B. Inactive or dormant Volcano- A volcano is declared inactive or dormant if the last traces of volcanic
heat disappear and if it has not erupted in 2,000 years. During inactive stage, the volcano progressively
reduces its size due to erosional forces. Volcanoes with no record of eruptions within the past 10,000
years are considered inactive. Inactive does not necessarily indicate the volcano will not erupt again.Its
eruption can come as a surprise. Some inactive volcanoes are Mt. Balungao (Pangasinan), Mt. Batulao
( Batangas), Alligator lake and Mt. Atimbia ( Laguna), Anilao Hill ( Batangas), Mt Balikabok
( Zambales)

C. Extinct Volcano- A volcano whose lava supply is finally cut short. It is not expected to erupt or show
any activity.

Volcanic activity in the Philippines is monitored and analyzed by the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), which is under the Department of Science and Technology
( DOST). The Institutes database includes the descriptions of the volcanoes in the country, as well as their
previous and current activities. The diligent efforts of the people working in the PHIVOLCS in monitoring
volcanic and seismic activities significantly contribute to the wellbeing of inhabitants nearby.

Whether active or inactive, these volcanoes can also be classified into four main kinds: based on the
shape of the volcano, the materials they are built of, and the way the volcano erupts.

A. Cinder Cones- the simplest type of volcano, it is also called “scoria cone”. It is a steep conical hill
formed above a vent that is composed mostly of basalt. These types are built from particles and blobs
of gas- charged lava ejected from a single and 500 m in diameter. As the lava is blown violently into
the atmosphere, it breaks into small fragments, solidifies, and falls as cinders around the vent. Cinder
cones tend to be very much smaller than shield volcanoes as they rarely exceed 250 m in height. The
lifespan of an active cinder cone tends to be short, hence; this type of volcano is considered temporary
landform along geologic time scale ( GTS).

B. Composite Volcano- A composite volcano (also called “stratovolcano”) is one constructed of

alternating layers of pyroclastic materials (acidic and high silica content) and solidified lava flows.
One of the essential features of a composite volcano is its conduit system which contains a central or
clustered group of vents. As the lava solidified within the fissure, dikes are formed which help
strengthen the cone. This type is larger than the cinder cone and primarily composed of andesite,
 tephra, and volcanic ash. During lava flows, viscous lava flows into big distance. The slopes are
symmetrical, intermediate in steepness compared with cinder cones and shield volcanoes.
Mt. Fuji in Japan, Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington Mt, Shasta in California

C. Shield volcano- A shield volcano is a broad, gently sloping landform that is built by many layers of low
viscous lava flows which cannot be filed up into steep mounds. Hence, the slopes of shield volcanoes
have a flattened dome or shield above the crust. Eruptions are non- violent which can be attributed to
the fluidity (less viscous) of the basalt lava ejected from the vent. Some of the largest volcanoes in the
world are listed in this type like Mauna Loa, the largest shield volcano and one of the world’s most
active volcanoes. It is built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. Flow after flow pours out in all
directions from a central summit vent, or group of vents, building a broad, gently sloping cone of flat,
domical shape.

D. Volcanic dome- It is a round, steep-sided mound that is formed by small, bulging masses of lava
primarily composed of either dacite or rhyolite. It is also called lava dome. Lava coming a dome is too
viscous to flow from the vent; hence lava piles over and around the vent until it cools down and
solidifies. A dome grows mainly by expansion from within. It usually occurs within the craters or on
the flanks of large composite volcanoes. It is associated with non-explosive eruptions of lava; the mass
of lava may collapse down a steep slope which may further result in a hot avalanche of lava fragments.

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Volcanic Eruption
The volcanic process refers to the eruptive and non-eruptive activities that take place on a volcano. We all
know that the Earth is composed of an extremely hot mantle under its outermost layer, the crust. In some
instances, an extremely hot mantle is formed in the lower mantle area and it liquifies the upper mantle into
superheated magma. Most magma originates 60 to 200 km below the earth’s surface which temperature may reach
1, 400 0C . Magma can remain in place or move upward depending on the vapor pressure of the dissolved gas in
the molten material and the confining pressure of the surrounding rock.
This is what happens when a volcano erupts: the magma, a liquid of molten rock inside a volcano, builds up
in its chimney and mixes with gas formed from melted of lava. This magma is eventually forced out through vents
resulting in dangerous, bright orange jets of lava being shot hundreds of meters into the air. Afterwards, the excess
magma flows from the vents and a much slower speed. This mixture is light and rises to the top. When it reaches
the top, it explodes from the cone of the volcano. The pressure of the gases in the magma causes the volcano to
erupt. Hot Magma (molten rock), gases, and volcanic ash are emitted. The explosiveness of the eruption depends on
the consistency of the magma and the amount of pressure built up prior to eruption.
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When a volcano erupts, magma bursts out. Dust, gas, steam, and hot rock shoot into the sky. Streams of
magma called lava come to the surface and pour from the top of the volcano and down its sides. Sometimes the
eruption is so loud it sounds like an explosion from a large bomb. Hot magma cools as it rises to the top. Some of it
becomes solid on the way up. The solid pieces are blasted out in the eruption. The fine pieces are known as volcanic
ash and the larger ones are called volcanic bombs. The volcanic bombs can be as big as and as heavy as trucks. The
small particles are called volcanic dust. Lava flows along as it is in liquid form and usually flows slowly. Lava is the
liquid rock that flows out of the volcano. The thicker, or more viscous the lava, the slower it moves, it does not
travel very far and will pile up to make rocks. The hotter the lava, the faster it flows.
There are different types of volcanic eruptions, but what is common to all of them is seismic activity. When
a volcano erupts, the first sign will be an earthquake, then it will start sending out ash and gas until finally, lava is
expelled from the crater. Some eruptions are violent and ash can reach several thousand feet into the atmosphere.
Under a volcano, the hot magma is stored in the magma chamber. When the magma chamber is full of magma, the
sides of the volcano bulge.
There are also gaseous fumes, like sulfur, that smell bad. An eruption can last from a few seconds to a year.
Most volcanoes erupt for three to four weeks and then rest. An eruption will stop as soon as there is no more
molten rock, when there are not enough gases in the magma, or when the chimney is plugged with cooled lava.

What contributes to violent eruptions?

1. Extreme temperatures and pressures
2. Volcanic ash, gas, and rock fragment expulsion
3. Viscosity: A fluid’s resistance to flow or movement. Describes internal friction of a fluid.
4. Degassing: The process of freeing gas from a solution. In this case, freeing gas from magma.