Parts of a volcano

We know that a volcano has many more parts than what we see with the naked eye. The ones that can be seen from the outside are the volcanic cone or the entire cone and we can even see the lava that slides in an eruption. However, there are different parts of a volcano that we cannot see briefly are fundamental parts of this geological feature.

In this article we are going to describe all the parts of a volcano and what are the functions of each of them.

Key features

The first thing to do is understand some of the main characteristics of a volcano. They are geological structures that hide other parts and that form over time. These parts vary depending on the volcano's activity. No two volcanoes look the same in terms of appearance. However, a volcano is not just what we see from the outside.

Volcanoes are closely related to the internal structure of our planet. The Earth has a central core that It is in a solid state according to seismic measurements of 1220km radius. The outer layer of the core is a semi-solid layer that reaches up to 3400 km in radius. From there, the mantle extends, where the lava is found. Two parts can be distinguished: the lower mantle, which extends from a depth of 700 km to 2885 km, and the upper mantle, which extends from 700 km to the crust, with an average thickness of 50 km. If you'd like to learn more about the formation of these structures, you can read about how volcanoes are formed in another of our articles.

Parts of a volcano

These are the parts that make up the structure of a volcano:

Crater

It is the opening that is located at the top and it is through where lava, ash and all pyroclastic materials are expelled. When we speak of pyroclastic materials we are referring to all fragments of volcanic igneous rock, crystals of various minerals, etc. There are many craters that vary in size and shape, although the most common is that they are rounded and wide. There are some volcanoes that have more than one crater.

Some parts of a volcano are responsible for intense volcanic eruptions, as can be seen in the case of the most dangerous volcanoes in the worldAnd depending on these eruptions, we can also see some quite intense ones that can knock down part of the structure or modify it.

Caldera

It is one of the parts of a volcano that is often quite confused with the crater. However, it is a great depression that forms when the volcano releases almost all the materials from its magma chamber in an eruption. The caldera creates some instability within the volcano of life that is missing for its structural support. This lack of structure inside the volcano causes the soil to collapse inwards. This caldera is much larger than the crater. Keep in mind that not all volcanoes have a caldera.

Volcanic cone

It is the accumulation of lava that solidifies as it cools. Also part of the volcanic cone is all the pyroclasts outside the volcano that are produced by eruptions or explosions over time. Depending on the number of rashes you have had throughout your life, the cone can vary in both thickness and size. The most common volcanic cones are scoria, spatter, and tuff cones. To learn more about these formations, read the article on stratovolcanoes.

Parts of a volcano: fissures

These are the fissures that take place in the areas where the magma is expelled. They are crevices or cracks with an elongated shape that gives ventilation to the interior and that takes place in the areas where magma and internal gases are expelled towards the surface. In some cases it causes it to be released through the duct or chimney explosively and in other cases it does so peacefully through fissures that extend in various directions and cover huge land areas.

Chimney and dam

The chimney is the conduit through which the magma chamber and the crater are connected. It is the place of the volcano where the lava is conducted for its expulsion. All the more, and the gases that are released during an eruption pass through this area. One of the aspects of a volcanic eruption is pressure. Given the pressure and quantity of materials that rise through the chimney we can see that rocks are torn away by the pressure and are also expelled from the chimney.

As for the dike, are igneous or magmatic formations that are tube-shaped. They pass through layers of adjacent rocks and then solidify when the temperature drops. These dams are generated when magma rises to a new fracture or creates cracks to follow its path over rocks. Along the way it crosses sedimentary, metamorphic and plutonic rocks.

Parts of a volcano: dome and magmatic chamber

A dome is simply an accumulation or mound of highly viscous lava that takes on a circular shape. This lava is so dense that it has been unable to move because the friction with the ground is too strong. When it begins to cool, it solidifies, creating these natural domes. Some can reach varying heights or extensions or grow slowly over the years as a result of the accumulation of larger amounts of lava. They are usually located within the volcano and do not extend beyond the crater boundary. They are most commonly found in the .

Finally, one of the most important parts of a volcano is the magma chamber. It is responsible for accumulating magma from the Earth's interior, as described in the article on volcanoes. It is usually found at great depths and It is the reservoir that stores the molten rock known as magma. It comes from the Earth's mantle. When a volcano begins to erupt, magma rises through the vent and is expelled through the crater. It is propelled by pressure, and once it has been expelled, it is called volcanic lava.

I hope this information helps you learn more about the parts of a volcano and its main functions.