What is a rift zone, like the ones found in Hawaii?
Reader
Dear Reader,
A rift zone is a weak place in a volcano where it is being pulled apart.
In Hawaii rift zones form because tall dikes of magma
extend from a magma reservoir beneath the summit down into the flanks of
the volcano. The dike is below the surface. It acts like a wedge and
cracks the volcano open. The rocks above the dike are to brittle to
stretch so they cracks. Cracks are
often found at the surface along rift zones.
Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota
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