What is the difference between Volcano and volcanism?
Regional SpecificsWhat is the difference between volcanism and a volcano? A volcano is a vent or a fissure in the crust from which lava (molten rock), ash, gases, rock fragments erupt from a magma chamber below the surface. Volcanism is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock, pyroclastics and volcanic gases to the surface through a
What is intensity of an earthquake?
Regional SpecificsThe intensity is a number (written as a Roman numeral) describing the severity of an earthquake in terms of its effects on the earth’s surface and on humans and their structures. Several scales exist, but the ones most commonly used in the United States are the Modified Mercalli scale and the Rossi-Forel scale. What is
What is a volcano and how is it formed?
Regional SpecificsA volcano is formed when hot molten rock, ash and gases escape from an opening in the Earth’s surface. The molten rock and ash solidify as they cool, forming the distinctive volcano shape shown here. As a volcano erupts, it spills lava that flows downslope. Hot ash and gases are thrown into the air. What
What happened during the Archean era?
Regional SpecificsDuring the Archean Eon, methane droplets in the air shrouded the young Earth in a global haze. There was no oxygen gas on Earth. Oxygen was only in compounds such as water. Complex chemical reactions in the young oceans transformed carbon-containing molecules into simple, living cells that did not need oxygen to live. What life
What is the name of the fault line on the East Coast?
Regional SpecificsThe east coast of the United States is home to the Ramapo Fault Zone. Spanning more than 185 miles (298 km), this fault system runs between the northern Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont region to the east. Along this fault zone is a remarkably straight magnetic line that runs between New York and Alabama along
What is the rock cycle powered by?
Regional SpecificsThe rock cycle is driven by two forces: (1) Earth’s internal heat engine, which moves material around in the core and the mantle and leads to slow but significant changes within the crust, and (2) the hydrological cycle, which is the movement of water, ice, and air at the surface, and is powered by the