Composite Volcano Qualities
Appearance
- tall, steep with a wide base
- has a conduit system of vents or many vents instead of one central vent.
- The flanks (sides) of the volcano are made of alternating layers of hardened lava flow that is made of ash, rock and cinder.
- Compostie volcanoes can also form cinder cones around them due to unstable vents. These volcanoes are called parasitic volcanoes.
Lava
- Compostite Volcanoes erupt basaltic lava that is high in silica
- This lava is thick and cools rapidly and creates the layers of cooled magma on the flanks or sides of the volcano.
- Some composite volcanoes erupt ash and pumice into the air around them, which can be just as dangerous.
A Typical Composite Volcano
Tohoku Earthquake
Geological Features
Mount Fuji Crater
Three Holy Mountains
Japanese Buddists believe Mount Fuji, Mount Tate, and Mount Haku are Japan's Three Holy Mountains.
Mount Tate
Mount Haku
When Mt. Fuji erupted in 1707 it created a new crater in its east flank. The summit crater is 250m deep.
- In 2007, there was a huge earthquake that occurred in Japan. The Pacific Plate subducted under Eurasian Plate releasing a lot of built up pressure.
- This caused a huge earthquake with 9.0 magnitude unleashing a huge tsunami that terrorized Japan, and killed 18,000 people.
- Many also believe that Mt. Fuji might be affected by this huge earthquake/tsunami. Scientists have found that the most "seismic noise" was found under Mt. Fuji.
- Therefore, scientists predict that there might be a possible eruption occuring at the volcano that hasn't erupted for over 300 years.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Haku_from_Onanjimine_2011-07-17
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mount_Tate_from_Mount_Subari_2001-09-23
- Mountain Tateyama is a 9,892 ft tall dormant volcano.
- The volcano has phreatic eruptions which is steam-driven eruptions that are caused by water being heated from heated ground.
- formed craters around Mt. Tate.
- hot springs that surround the ground around Mt. Tate’s base.
- Produces a few of Japan’s earthquakes that have been more active since the 19th century.
- Mt. Hakusan last erupted in 1659 but is now a dormant volcano.
- Mt. Haku resides in its national park which is known for its heavy snowfall.
- This volcano for the last 10,000 years has consisted of phreatic explosions from some summit craters.
- 5,000 years ago one of these craters partially collapsed, an avalanche was created that produced a lot of debris.
https://1.staticflickr.com/3/2221/2147392218_ecc88e6bfc
http://www.japansociety.org.uk/earthquake/
This is the after math of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake called the Tohoku Earthquake that took place in Tokyo, Japan.
Mt. Fuji Art Influence
Composite Volcanoes Formed
- After many years of countless praise, Mt. Fuji has truly grown to be more than just a volcano to the Japanese culture. People of Japan consider Mt. Fuji the one of the three holy mountains inlcuding Mt. Tate and Mt. Haku making Mt. Fuji very important to all of Japan.
- Also, Mt. Fuji gives off a very symmetrcial apperance making it eye-catching to tourists and people all around the world. Mt. Fuji has become the center of various pieces of artwork from ancient times to today.
- Mt. Fuji is also called a lot of different names in the Japanese culture such as : Mt. Fujisan and Fujiyama. These names mean "wealth" and "abundance".
- Composite Volcanoes form at subduction zones specifically oceanic/continental. Subduction zones are an area when one tectonic plate subducts, or goes under another plate (because it is denser), in this case the ocanic plate will subduct.
- When this happens the tectonic plate partially melts as it travels into the mantle to form a magma chamber under the continental plate. The magma in the chamber slowly breaks through the continental crust, while building up a lot of pressure.
- The mass amount of pressure keeps building until many materials such as rock, cinder, and dirt have bulit a steep volcano. Once there is enough pressure, lava from the mantle spews out the top of the volcano in a explosive eruption, unlike sheild volcanoes which explode in quiet eruptions.
Newer Paintings of Mt. Fuji
http://apkxda.com/mount_fuji_paintings.html
Old Paintings Of Mt. Fuji
http://fineartamerica.com/featured/mount-fuji-michael-creese.html
Map of Japan
https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/scenic/mtfuji/fuji_01.html
http://www.simonsgallery.com/largepaintings.php
http://www.climate-zone.com/img/japan/map
Mt. Fuji's Five Lakes
Japan
Unlike most volcanoes, Mt, Fuji has many bodies of water around it. Most volcanoes have a close source of water but Mt. Fuji has a total of five lakes surrounding it.
The Lakes are:
- Lake Kawaguchi
- Lake Motosu
- Lake Sai
- Lake Shojiko
- Lake Yamanakako
These lakes contribute to the animals that live near Mt. Fuji. It provides water and a source of food. These lakes also have hotels and camp grounds that surround their banks and add to Japan's characteristics.
Mt. Fuji
- Mt. Fuji is a composite volcano and is also the largest volcano in Japan. Like many composite volcanoes, Mt. Fuji is very tall standing at 12, 388 feet and has many vents instead of just one central vent.
- Mt. Fuji also has many alternating layers of ash, rock and cinder that builds up its flanks.
- One thing that is different about Mt. Fuji is that it is not a parasitic volcano- it does not have forming cinder cone volcanoes on its sides.
Mt. Fuji Wildlife
- Many different animals live on or near Mt. Fuji. Since Mt. Fuji is snow-capped for most months you would think that not much wildlife would inhabit the area.
- But, many animals have learned to adapt to the climate. So much so that Mt. Fuji is home to 37 different species including birds, mammals, plants and insects.
- Some animals include the Japenese serow, the Japenese squirrel, foxes, snow monkeys, and bears.
- Some birds include the Spotted Nutcraker and the Japenese Thrush.
- Some plants include the Japenese Dogwood and of course the Japenese cherry blossom.
Where are Composite Volcanoes Usually Found
Mt. Fuji the Composite Volcano
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankyou/ka-070/fujisanpage/otherlanguage/en/nature5.html
Sagami Trough
This 210 mile long trench is the product of the convergent plate boundary between the North American plate and the Phillipine plate.
This subduction zone is the cause of many devastating earthquakes like the Tohoku earthquake that has caused destruction to Japan.
The Spotted Nutcracker is a small bird with a long bill that lives in the forests on the outskirts of Mt. Fuji
The "Small Labyrinth" is one of the many species of butterflies that inhabit Mt. Fuji.
- Many composite volcanoes are found on the Pacific Rim or as some call it "The Ring of Fire".
- The "Ring of Fire" is located on the border of the Pacific Ocean, this is also where the Pacific Plate is located. Specifically , The Pacific Rim is where a lot of volcanoes and earthquakes occur since the Pacific Plate holds a lot of seismic activity.
- Some volcanoes on the "Ring of Fire" are Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Paricutin, and last but not least the volcano we are talking about today, Mt. Fuji.
http://historicmajortectonicactivityproject.pbworks.com/w/page/71292033/1708%20Mt%20Fuji%20Volcanic%20Eruption%20by%20Meredith%20McBride
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankyou/ka-070/fujisanpage/otherlanguage/en/nature5.html
This is a visual of Mt. Fuji, you can see that Mt. Fuji is almost symmetrical and is snow-capped most months of the year because of its high altitude. Mt. Fuji's base is at least 30 miles wide in diameter and 78 miles in circumference.
The snow monkey lives directly on Mt. Fuji since it hasn't erupted in 300 years and they are able the adapt to the tundra climate. They have red faces, brown/grey fur, and a short tail.
The Japanese squirrel has a reddish grey coat and a bushy tail. Foxes, deer, and bears are also found near Mt. Fuji.
http://www.unmissablejapan.com/etcetera/japanese-wildlife
http://www.soapinterop.org/2014/the-hunted-japanese-serow/
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/kankyou/ka-070/fujisanpage/otherlanguage/en/nature5.html
The Japanese serow is a goat like creature that lives in Japan and around Mt. Fuji. It is a myth that the Japenese serow lived around Mt. Fuji since ancient times.
http://www.pref.shizuoka.jp/a_foreign/english/fuji/whatfuji.html
Tectonic Plates
1707 Eruption Continued
- Mt. Fuji erupted tons of ash and pumice in the air devastating Honshu Island, destroying 72 houses, 3 Buddhist temples, and killing many people.
- As far as recent eruptions, Mt. Fuji hasn't erupted since 1707 but scientists suspect a upcoming eruption.
Mt. Fuji was created on the Philippine Sea Plate and Eurasian Plate at a convergent plate boundary.
Thanks for watching!
Since the Eurasain plate carries more continental crust than the Philippine plate, the Phillipine plate is the one to subduct.
http://www.earthobservatory.sg/files/prages/Tohoku2-bloc_diagramme_japan_earthquoject/imakes
Magma bubbled up from this subduction and its product is many volcanoes in Japan and Mt. Fuji is one of the volcanoes in the ring of fire.
This picture shows the plates at the subduction zone that formed Mt. Fuji. You can see how the Tohoku Earthquake formed, partial melting of the oceanic plate, the magma from the mantle seeping through the continenetal plate, and of course Mt. Fuji.
The 1707 Eruption
- The 1707 eruption was triggered by an 8.4 magnitude earthquake that occured October 26th, 1707 and the eruption occurred on December 16th that year.
- Although Mt. Fuji hasn't erupted for over 300 years, the sacred volcano is still considered dormant. Dormant means that the volcano is not active but not quite extinct.
- Scientists beileve this is true due to the last eruption that occurred at Mt. Fuji, the 1707 eruption. Many times earthquakes trigger volcanic eruptions and that is just what happened with Mt. Fuji.
http://cdn.akihabaranews.com/sites/default/files/styles/akiba-custom/public/Mt%20Fuji%20Eruption%203.jpg?itok=98hhRN8e
This picture shows an aerial view of Mt. Fuji erupting. You can see that instead of lava erupting from the central vent, ash and dust erupts. During the 1707 eruption the ash and dust that was erupted from the central vent covered all of Tokyo, Japan.
Composite Volcanoes
- Out of all the volcanoes on Earth there are cinder cone volcanoes, composite volcanoes, or shield volcanoes.
- Today we will be talking about Composite Volcanoes.
Mt. Fuji
By Erin Koschik and Kalynne Corson