INTRAPLATE VOLCANISM. HOT SPOTS AND MANTLE PLUMES. Although most volcanic rocks are generated at plate boundaries, there are a few exceptionally active sites of volcanism within the plate interiors. These intraplate regions of voluminous volcanism are called hotspots.
The Ring of Fire is an area where a large number of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
Magma is a mixture of molten or semi-molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets
The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to gradual deformation by shear stress or tensile stress. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal notion of "thickness". For example, honey has a higher viscosity than water.
The higher the silica content, the more explosive the eruption
silica has a high viscosity, which means it is thick and flows slowly. It also means it takes more energy to move a liquid with high viscosity than one with a low viscosity, so if forced to move, it means it does so with a bang. Yellowstone has a high silica content, so any eruption it would have would be very explosive, whereas Hawaiian volcanoes have a low silica content, and their eruptions tend to flow smoothly
silica has a high viscosity, which means it is thick and flows slowly. It also means it takes more energy to move a liquid with high viscosity than one with a low viscosity, so if forced to move, it means it does so with a bang. Yellowstone has a high silica content, so any eruption it would have would be very explosive, whereas Hawaiian volcanoes have a low silica content, and their eruptions tend to flow smoothly