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33 votes
33 votes
What conditions make for a violent volcanic eruption?

A. Magma with low gas content
• B. Magma with high silica content
• C. Magma with low viscosity

D. Magma that can flow easily

User Rebeloper
by
3.2k points

1 Answer

26 votes
26 votes

Answer:

B. Magma with high silica content.

Step-by-step explanation:

Too explain, magma with high silica context has very high viscosity which is perfect for a volcanic eruption to be formed (a very violent at that).

In each magma, there is always some type or degree of gases trapped such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O).

This means the more gases trapped, the increase in the violence of the explosion.

So the silica content in magma overall control or determines how thick it is, the easiness of it's flowing, and how quickly dissolved gases that are trapped in the magma can be released. Due to these reasons, it can therefore be shown that the silica content of magma overall determines whether the eruption is violent or not. It would also determine the shape and size of the produced (resulting) volcanic cone.

So with Option B, due to the magma having high silica content, it has the right conditions for a violent volcanic eruption. Therefore, Option B. Magma with high silica content is correct.

User Suresh Kumar
by
3.1k points
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