What is a lava dome?
Matt
Hi Matt,
A lava dome is a very viscous blob of lava that barely can flow out of a vent.
It is the equivalent of a lava flow, but so thick and pasty that it is barely
moving. Often it just looks like a pile of rocks, even though it is active.
There will be frequent collapses of the face of a dome as it slowly expands and
flows. Sometimes gas pressure under the dome can grow so high that explosions
occur and the dome is blasted away. Soon another dome will grow to take its
place. There are active domes growing at Mt. Saint Helens, Pinatubo, Unzen,
Merapi, and many other places.
I hope this helps to answer your question.
Sincerely,
Scott Rowland, University of Hawaii
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