What happens if a volcano’s magma is high in silica?
Lava with high silica content is thick and viscous and does not readily flow. Lava rises up toward the surface but is too thick to squeeze through the cracks and fissures in the Earth. As lava continues to rise upward, pressure continues to build.
How does silica affect a volcano?
Silica: Influences lava viscosity and overall shape of the volcano. Silica molecules form a strong bond that permits entrapment of volcanic gases and promotes explosive volcanic eruptions. Low-silican magmas allow rapid escape of gases and low-explosivity eruptions.
What does it mean by higher silica content magma is?
The higher the amount of silica in the magma the higher is its viscosity. Viscosity is a liquid's resistance to flow. Viscosity determines what the magma will do. Mafic magma is not viscous and will flow easily to the surface. Felsic magma is viscous and does not flow easily.
What is the magma with the highest silica content?
As a result of its higher viscosity and gas content intermediate magma builds up pressure below the Earth's surface before it can be released as lava. Felsic magma has the highest silica content of all magma types between 65-70%. Thick viscous felsic magma can trap gas bubbles in a volcano's magma chamber.
How does silica affect viscosity?
A magma's silica content will not only control the rock type that forms, it also controls the relative viscosity of the magma. Differences in a magma's viscosity will determine the shape a volcano takes. High-silica (basalt) magma has a much lower viscosity. It flows much easier and over longer distances.
Why does silica increase viscosity?
Temperature: The hotter the lava, the lower the viscosity (the thinner it is). The cooler the lava, the higher the viscosity (the thicker it is). Composition: he more felsic the lava (the more silica in the lava), the higher the viscosity because silica forms chains in the cooling lava even before it crystallizes.
How does silica affect viscosity of magma?
The amount of silica in magma helps to determine its viscosity. The more silica magma contains the higher its viscosity. Magma that is high in silica produces light-colored lava that is too sticky to flow very far ex. … Low-silica magma flows readily and produces dark-colored lava ex.
How does silica content control magma viscosity?
High-silica (basalt) magma has a much lower viscosity. It flows much easier and over longer distances. As low-silica magma cools, it hardens to rock, adding a new thin layer of rock to the volcano.
How does silica content affect viscosity?
A magma's silica content will not only control the rock type that forms, it also controls the relative viscosity of the magma. Differences in a magma's viscosity will determine the shape a volcano takes. High-silica (basalt) magma has a much lower viscosity. It flows much easier and over longer distances.
Which type of magma has more silica?
Felsic magma has more silica and alumina content, which makes magma more viscous. Mafic magma has less silica content and more iron and magnesium in it.
What is the effect of viscosity when silica content is high?
Viscosity is the resistance to flow (opposite of fluidity). Viscosity depends on primarily on the composition of the magma, and temperature. Higher SiO2 (silica) content magmas have higher viscosity than lower SiO2 content magmas (viscosity increases with increasing SiO2 concentration in the magma).
How does an increase in silica affect lava viscosity?
Viscosity of Magmas Viscosity depends on primarily on the composition of the magma, and temperature. Higher SiO2 (silica) content magmas have higher viscosity than lower SiO2 content magmas (viscosity increases with increasing SiO2 concentration in the magma).
What effect does silica have on viscosity?
A magma's silica content will not only control the rock type that forms, it also controls the relative viscosity of the magma. Differences in a magma's viscosity will determine the shape a volcano takes. High-silica (basalt) magma has a much lower viscosity. It flows much easier and over longer distances.
What is a high silica content?
The term high silica can be used to describe any high-purity glass. However, for use in reinforced plastics, we shall define high silica as a high-purity glass of 95%-plus punty SiO2 produced by a leaching process.
How does silica content affect the viscosity of magma?
Viscosity of Magmas Viscosity depends on primarily on the composition of the magma, and temperature. Higher SiO2 (silica) content magmas have higher viscosity than lower SiO2 content magmas (viscosity increases with increasing SiO2 concentration in the magma).