Deposits and Eruption-Part 1

​Types of Eruption

During an episode of activity, a volcano commonly displays a distinctive pattern of behavior. Some mild eruptions merely discharge steam and other gases, whereas other eruptions quietly extrude quantities of lava. The most spectacular eruptions consist of violent explosions that blast great clouds of gas-laden debris into the atmosphere.

T​he type of volcanic eruption Is often labeled with the name of a well-known volcano where characteristic behavior is similar--hence the use of such terms as "Strombolian," "Vulcanian," "Vesuvian," "Pelean," "Hawaiian," and others. Some volcanoes may exhibit only one characteristic type of eruption during an interval of activity--others may display an entire sequence of types.

​Nuée ardente-an incandescent cloud of gas, ash, and lava fragments ejected from a volcano, typically as part of a pyroclastic flow.