My issue with how we teach about volcanic rocks

Everyone says volcanic rocks mean explosive eruptions. I think that's too narrow. Look at basalt from Hawaii. It comes from slow, calm lava flows. Shield volcanoes ooze without any ash. Pahoehoe forms smooth from quiet cooling. These rocks show a gentle side. We need to talk about this more in class.

4 comments

4 Comments

drew_rivera1mo ago

Wait a sec, I mean, that's actually the whole point of the term though. Volcanic rocks just mean they came from a volcano, period. It covers the explosive stuff like ash and pumice AND the calm basalt flows. Maybe your class just didn't explain the full definition well.

fiona_carr261mo ago

Seriously? I always linked volcanic rocks to explosions, not calm flows.

brian_taylor151mo ago

Yeah but if "the whole point" is they come from a volcano, then calm flows still count, right? Even if it doesn't feel like the explosive idea of one.

angela_patel759d ago

Oh man, this takes me back. I read this whole article once about Hawaii, and how the big island is basically built from those calm lava flows. It's not all giant explosions. That stuff just piles up layer after layer over thousands of years. So yeah, totally counts as volcanic rock. The textbook definition is way bigger than just the dramatic, explodey kind.