The Alofaaga Blowholes , also known as the Taga Blowholes , are a natural feature located in the district of Palauli , south west of Salelologa wharf on the island of Savai'i in Samoa . The entrance to the blowholes is in the village of Taga .
80-468: In this area, lava flows have created a series of tubes connecting a flat clifftop of lava rock with the ocean below. Waves breaking against the lower end of the lava tubes send water at high pressure up through the tubes, creating fountains that spray every few seconds. As most of the land in Samoa is under customary ownership , the village charges a small admission for entry to view the blowholes. The area
160-444: A magnetic field . Electrons, due to their smaller mass and thus larger space-filling properties as matter waves , determine the size of atoms and molecules that possess any electrons at all. Thus, anions (negatively charged ions) are larger than the parent molecule or atom, as the excess electron(s) repel each other and add to the physical size of the ion, because its size is determined by its electron cloud . Cations are smaller than
240-419: A continued supply of lava and its pressure on a solidified crust. Most basaltic lavas are of ʻaʻā or pāhoehoe types, rather than block lavas. Underwater, they can form pillow lavas , which are rather similar to entrail-type pahoehoe lavas on land. Ultramafic lavas, such as komatiite and highly magnesian magmas that form boninite , take the composition and temperatures of eruptions to the extreme. All have
320-455: A darker groundmass , including amphibole or pyroxene phenocrysts. Mafic or basaltic lavas are typified by relatively high magnesium oxide and iron oxide content (whose molecular formulas provide the consonants in mafic) and have a silica content limited to a range of 52% to 45%. They generally erupt at temperatures of 1,100 to 1,200 °C (2,010 to 2,190 °F) and at relatively low viscosities, around 10 to 10 cP (10 to 100 Pa⋅s). This
400-420: A dome forms on an inclined surface it can flow in short thick flows called coulées (dome flows). These flows often travel only a few kilometres from the vent. Lava tubes are formed when a flow of relatively fluid lava cools on the upper surface sufficiently to form a crust. Beneath this crust, which being made of rock is an excellent insulator, the lava can continue to flow as a liquid. When this flow occurs over
480-454: A free electron and a positive ion. Ions are also created by chemical interactions, such as the dissolution of a salt in liquids, or by other means, such as passing a direct current through a conducting solution, dissolving an anode via ionization . The word ion was coined from neuter present participle of Greek ἰέναι ( ienai ), meaning "to go". A cation is something that moves down ( Greek : κάτω , kato , meaning "down") and an anion
560-415: A gas is extensively used for the detection of radiation such as alpha , beta , gamma , and X-rays . The original ionization event in these instruments results in the formation of an "ion pair"; a positive ion and a free electron, by ion impact by the radiation on the gas molecules. The ionization chamber is the simplest of these detectors, and collects all the charges created by direct ionization within
640-400: A gas with less net electric charge is called the ionization potential , or ionization energy . The n th ionization energy of an atom is the energy required to detach its n th electron after the first n − 1 electrons have already been detached. Each successive ionization energy is markedly greater than the last. Particularly great increases occur after any given block of atomic orbitals
720-465: A massive dense core, which is the most active part of the flow. As pasty lava in the core travels downslope, the clinkers are carried along at the surface. At the leading edge of an ʻaʻā flow, however, these cooled fragments tumble down the steep front and are buried by the advancing flow. This produces a layer of lava fragments both at the bottom and top of an ʻaʻā flow. Accretionary lava balls as large as 3 metres (10 feet) are common on ʻaʻā flows. ʻAʻā
800-483: A minus indication "Anion (−)" indicates the negative charge. With a cation it is just the opposite: it has fewer electrons than protons, giving it a net positive charge, hence the indication "Cation (+)". Since the electric charge on a proton is equal in magnitude to the charge on an electron, the net electric charge on an ion is equal to the number of protons in the ion minus the number of electrons. An anion (−) ( / ˈ æ n ˌ aɪ . ən / ANN -eye-ən , from
880-440: A molecule/atom with multiple charges is by drawing out the signs multiple times, this is often seen with transition metals. Chemists sometimes circle the sign; this is merely ornamental and does not alter the chemical meaning. All three representations of Fe , Fe , and Fe shown in the figure, are thus equivalent. Monatomic ions are sometimes also denoted with Roman numerals , particularly in spectroscopy ; for example,
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#1732859111569960-402: A neutral atom or molecule is called ionization . Atoms can be ionized by bombardment with radiation , but the more usual process of ionization encountered in chemistry is the transfer of electrons between atoms or molecules. This transfer is usually driven by the attaining of stable ("closed shell") electronic configurations . Atoms will gain or lose electrons depending on which action takes
1040-592: A positive charge, forming the ion NH + 3 . However, this ion is unstable, because it has an incomplete valence shell around the nitrogen atom, making it a very reactive radical ion. Due to the instability of radical ions, polyatomic and molecular ions are usually formed by gaining or losing elemental ions such as H , rather than gaining or losing electrons. This allows the molecule to preserve its stable electronic configuration while acquiring an electrical charge. The energy required to detach an electron in its lowest energy state from an atom or molecule of
1120-411: A precise ionic gradient across membranes , the disruption of this gradient contributes to cell death. This is a common mechanism exploited by natural and artificial biocides , including the ion channels gramicidin and amphotericin (a fungicide ). Inorganic dissolved ions are a component of total dissolved solids , a widely known indicator of water quality . The ionizing effect of radiation on
1200-627: A prolonged period of time the lava conduit can form a tunnel-like aperture or lava tube , which can conduct molten rock many kilometres from the vent without cooling appreciably. Often these lava tubes drain out once the supply of fresh lava has stopped, leaving a considerable length of open tunnel within the lava flow. Lava tubes are known from the modern day eruptions of Kīlauea, and significant, extensive and open lava tubes of Tertiary age are known from North Queensland , Australia , some extending for 15 kilometres (9 miles). Ion#Anions and cations An ion ( / ˈ aɪ . ɒ n , - ən / )
1280-960: A silica content greater than 63%. They include rhyolite and dacite lavas. With such a high silica content, these lavas are extremely viscous, ranging from 10 cP (10 Pa⋅s) for hot rhyolite lava at 1,200 °C (2,190 °F) to 10 cP (10 Pa⋅s) for cool rhyolite lava at 800 °C (1,470 °F). For comparison, water has a viscosity of about 1 cP (0.001 Pa⋅s). Because of this very high viscosity, felsic lavas usually erupt explosively to produce pyroclastic (fragmental) deposits. However, rhyolite lavas occasionally erupt effusively to form lava spines , lava domes or "coulees" (which are thick, short lava flows). The lavas typically fragment as they extrude, producing block lava flows. These often contain obsidian . Felsic magmas can erupt at temperatures as low as 800 °C (1,470 °F). Unusually hot (>950 °C; >1,740 °F) rhyolite lavas, however, may flow for distances of many tens of kilometres, such as in
1360-450: A silica content under 45%. Komatiites contain over 18% magnesium oxide and are thought to have erupted at temperatures of 1,600 °C (2,910 °F). At this temperature there is practically no polymerization of the mineral compounds, creating a highly mobile liquid. Viscosities of komatiite magmas are thought to have been as low as 100 to 1000 cP (0.1 to 1 Pa⋅s), similar to that of light motor oil. Most ultramafic lavas are no younger than
1440-441: A similar manner to ʻaʻā flows but their more viscous nature causes the surface to be covered in smooth-sided angular fragments (blocks) of solidified lava instead of clinkers. As with ʻaʻā flows, the molten interior of the flow, which is kept insulated by the solidified blocky surface, advances over the rubble that falls off the flow front. They also move much more slowly downhill and are thicker in depth than ʻaʻā flows. Pillow lava
1520-526: A solid crust that insulates the remaining liquid lava, helping to keep it hot and inviscid enough to continue flowing. The word lava comes from Italian and is probably derived from the Latin word labes , which means a fall or slide. An early use of the word in connection with extrusion of magma from below the surface is found in a short account of the 1737 eruption of Vesuvius , written by Francesco Serao , who described "a flow of fiery lava" as an analogy to
1600-414: A stable configuration. This property is known as electropositivity . Non-metals, on the other hand, are characterized by having an electron configuration just a few electrons short of a stable configuration. As such, they have the tendency to gain more electrons in order to achieve a stable configuration. This tendency is known as electronegativity . When a highly electropositive metal is combined with
1680-571: A temperature of 1,100 to 1,200 °C (2,010 to 2,190 °F). On the Earth, most lava flows are less than 10 km (6.2 mi) long, but some pāhoehoe flows are more than 50 km (31 mi) long. Some flood basalt flows in the geologic record extend for hundreds of kilometres. The rounded texture makes pāhoehoe a poor radar reflector, and is difficult to see from an orbiting satellite (dark on Magellan picture). Block lava flows are typical of andesitic lavas from stratovolcanoes. They behave in
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#17328591115691760-496: A volcano extrudes silicic lava, it can form an inflation dome or endogenous dome , gradually building up a large, pillow-like structure which cracks, fissures, and may release cooled chunks of rock and rubble. The top and side margins of an inflating lava dome tend to be covered in fragments of rock, breccia and ash. Examples of lava dome eruptions include the Novarupta dome, and successive lava domes of Mount St Helens . When
1840-401: A −2 charge is known as a dianion and an ion with a +2 charge is known as a dication . A zwitterion is a neutral molecule with positive and negative charges at different locations within that molecule. Cations and anions are measured by their ionic radius and they differ in relative size: "Cations are small, most of them less than 10 m (10 cm) in radius. But most anions are large, as is
1920-468: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock ( magma ) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth ) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust , on land or underwater, usually at temperatures from 800 to 1,200 °C (1,470 to 2,190 °F). The volcanic rock resulting from subsequent cooling
2000-402: Is a large subsidence crater, can form in a stratovolcano, if the magma chamber is partially or wholly emptied by large explosive eruptions; the summit cone no longer supports itself and thus collapses in on itself afterwards. Such features may include volcanic crater lakes and lava domes after the event. However, calderas can also form by non-explosive means such as gradual magma subsidence. This
2080-416: Is a negatively charged ion with more electrons than protons. (e.g. Cl (chloride ion) and OH (hydroxide ion)). Opposite electric charges are pulled towards one another by electrostatic force , so cations and anions attract each other and readily form ionic compounds . If only a + or - is present, it indicates a +1 or -1 charge. To indicate a more severe charge, the number of additional or missing atoms
2160-456: Is also often called lava . A lava flow is an outpouring of lava during an effusive eruption . (An explosive eruption , by contrast, produces a mixture of volcanic ash and other fragments called tephra , not lava flows.) The viscosity of most lava is about that of ketchup , roughly 10,000 to 100,000 times that of water. Even so, lava can flow great distances before cooling causes it to solidify, because lava exposed to air quickly develops
2240-484: Is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge . The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton , which is considered to be positive by convention. The net charge of an ion is not zero because its total number of electrons is unequal to its total number of protons. A cation is a positively charged ion with fewer electrons than protons (e.g. K (potassium ion)) while an anion
2320-415: Is basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface. These surface features are due to the movement of very fluid lava under a congealing surface crust. The Hawaiian word was introduced as a technical term in geology by Clarence Dutton . A pāhoehoe flow typically advances as a series of small lobes and toes that continually break out from a cooled crust. It also forms lava tubes where
2400-719: Is concentrated in a thin layer in the toothpaste next to the tube and only there does the toothpaste behave as a fluid. Thixotropic behavior also hinders crystals from settling out of the lava. Once the crystal content reaches about 60%, the lava ceases to behave like a fluid and begins to behave like a solid. Such a mixture of crystals with melted rock is sometimes described as crystal mush . Lava flow speeds vary based primarily on viscosity and slope. In general, lava flows slowly, with typical speeds for Hawaiian basaltic flows of 0.40 km/h (0.25 mph) and maximum speeds of 10 to 48 km/h (6 to 30 mph) on steep slopes. An exceptional speed of 32 to 97 km/h (20 to 60 mph)
2480-429: Is exhausted of electrons. For this reason, ions tend to form in ways that leave them with full orbital blocks. For example, sodium has one valence electron in its outermost shell, so in ionized form it is commonly found with one lost electron, as Na . On the other side of the periodic table, chlorine has seven valence electrons, so in ionized form it is commonly found with one gained electron, as Cl . Caesium has
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2560-615: Is in the breakdown of adenosine triphosphate ( ATP ), which provides the energy for many reactions in biological systems. Ions can be non-chemically prepared using various ion sources , usually involving high voltage or temperature. These are used in a multitude of devices such as mass spectrometers , optical emission spectrometers , particle accelerators , ion implanters , and ion engines . As reactive charged particles, they are also used in air purification by disrupting microbes, and in household items such as smoke detectors . As signalling and metabolism in organisms are controlled by
2640-546: Is mostly determined by composition but also depends on temperature and shear rate. Lava viscosity determines the kind of volcanic activity that takes place when the lava is erupted. The greater the viscosity, the greater the tendency for eruptions to be explosive rather than effusive. As a result, most lava flows on Earth, Mars, and Venus are composed of basalt lava. On Earth, 90% of lava flows are mafic or ultramafic, with intermediate lava making up 8% of flows and felsic lava making up just 2% of flows. Viscosity also determines
2720-444: Is one of three basic types of flow lava. ʻAʻā is basaltic lava characterized by a rough or rubbly surface composed of broken lava blocks called clinker. The word is Hawaiian meaning "stony rough lava", but also to "burn" or "blaze"; it was introduced as a technical term in geology by Clarence Dutton . The loose, broken, and sharp, spiny surface of an ʻaʻā flow makes hiking difficult and slow. The clinkery surface actually covers
2800-607: Is one short of the stable, filled shell with 8 electrons. Thus, a chlorine atom tends to gain an extra electron and attain a stable 8- electron configuration , becoming a chloride anion in the process: This driving force is what causes sodium and chlorine to undergo a chemical reaction, wherein the "extra" electron is transferred from sodium to chlorine, forming sodium cations and chloride anions. Being oppositely charged, these cations and anions form ionic bonds and combine to form sodium chloride , NaCl, more commonly known as table salt. Polyatomic and molecular ions are often formed by
2880-451: Is possible to mix the notations for the individual metal centre with a polyatomic complex, as shown by the uranyl ion example. If an ion contains unpaired electrons , it is called a radical ion. Just like uncharged radicals, radical ions are very reactive. Polyatomic ions containing oxygen, such as carbonate and sulfate, are called oxyanions . Molecular ions that contain at least one carbon to hydrogen bond are called organic ions . If
2960-474: Is similar to the viscosity of ketchup , although it is still many orders of magnitude higher than that of water. Mafic lavas tend to produce low-profile shield volcanoes or flood basalts , because the less viscous lava can flow for long distances from the vent. The thickness of a solidified basaltic lava flow, particularly on a low slope, may be much greater than the thickness of the moving molten lava flow at any one time, because basaltic lavas may "inflate" by
3040-468: Is something that moves up ( Greek : ἄνω , ano , meaning "up"). They are so called because ions move toward the electrode of opposite charge. This term was introduced (after a suggestion by the English polymath William Whewell ) by English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday in 1834 for the then-unknown species that goes from one electrode to the other through an aqueous medium. Faraday did not know
3120-415: Is supplied, as seen in O 2 (negative charge, peroxide ) and He (positive charge, alpha particle ). Ions consisting of only a single atom are termed atomic or monatomic ions , while two or more atoms form molecular ions or polyatomic ions . In the case of physical ionization in a fluid (gas or liquid), "ion pairs" are created by spontaneous molecule collisions, where each generated pair consists of
3200-454: Is the lava structure typically formed when lava emerges from an underwater volcanic vent or subglacial volcano or a lava flow enters the ocean. The viscous lava gains a solid crust on contact with the water, and this crust cracks and oozes additional large blobs or "pillows" as more lava emerges from the advancing flow. Since water covers the majority of Earth 's surface and most volcanoes are situated near or under bodies of water, pillow lava
3280-422: Is typical of many shield volcanoes. Cinder cones and spatter cones are small-scale features formed by lava accumulation around a small vent on a volcanic edifice. Cinder cones are formed from tephra or ash and tuff which is thrown from an explosive vent. Spatter cones are formed by accumulation of molten volcanic slag and cinders ejected in a more liquid form. Another Hawaiian English term derived from
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3360-447: Is unfenced and surrounded by wet, slippery rocks which can be dangerous. Falling into one of the blowholes would be almost certainly fatal. A track along the coast can be followed west to the ancient village of Fagaloa . 13°48′08″S 172°31′11″W / 13.8022°S 172.5197°W / -13.8022; -172.5197 This article about a geographical location in Samoa
3440-516: Is usually of higher viscosity than pāhoehoe. Pāhoehoe can turn into ʻaʻā if it becomes turbulent from meeting impediments or steep slopes. The sharp, angled texture makes ʻaʻā a strong radar reflector, and can easily be seen from an orbiting satellite (bright on Magellan pictures). ʻAʻā lavas typically erupt at temperatures of 1,050 to 1,150 °C (1,920 to 2,100 °F) or greater. Pāhoehoe (also spelled pahoehoe , from Hawaiian [paːˈhoweˈhowe] meaning "smooth, unbroken lava")
3520-646: Is very common. Because it is formed from viscous molten rock, lava flows and eruptions create distinctive formations, landforms and topographical features from the macroscopic to the microscopic. Volcanoes are the primary landforms built by repeated eruptions of lava and ash over time. They range in shape from shield volcanoes with broad, shallow slopes formed from predominantly effusive eruptions of relatively fluid basaltic lava flows, to steeply-sided stratovolcanoes (also known as composite volcanoes) made of alternating layers of ash and more viscous lava flows typical of intermediate and felsic lavas. A caldera , which
3600-432: Is written in superscript immediately after the chemical structure for the molecule/atom. The net charge is written with the magnitude before the sign; that is, a doubly charged cation is indicated as 2+ instead of +2 . However, the magnitude of the charge is omitted for singly charged molecules/atoms; for example, the sodium cation is indicated as Na and not Na . An alternative (and acceptable) way of showing
3680-549: The Fe (positively doubly charged) example seen above is referred to as Fe(III) , Fe or Fe III (Fe I for a neutral Fe atom, Fe II for a singly ionized Fe ion). The Roman numeral designates the formal oxidation state of an element, whereas the superscripted Indo-Arabic numerals denote the net charge. The two notations are, therefore, exchangeable for monatomic ions, but the Roman numerals cannot be applied to polyatomic ions. However, it
3760-489: The Hawaiian language , a kīpuka denotes an elevated area such as a hill, ridge or old lava dome inside or downslope from an area of active volcanism. New lava flows will cover the surrounding land, isolating the kīpuka so that it appears as a (usually) forested island in a barren lava flow. Lava domes are formed by the extrusion of viscous felsic magma. They can form prominent rounded protuberances, such as at Valles Caldera . As
3840-866: The Proterozoic , with a few ultramafic magmas known from the Phanerozoic in Central America that are attributed to a hot mantle plume . No modern komatiite lavas are known, as the Earth's mantle has cooled too much to produce highly magnesian magmas. Some silicate lavas have an elevated content of alkali metal oxides (sodium and potassium), particularly in regions of continental rifting , areas overlying deeply subducted plates , or at intraplate hotspots . Their silica content can range from ultramafic ( nephelinites , basanites and tephrites ) to felsic ( trachytes ). They are more likely to be generated at greater depths in
3920-508: The Snake River Plain of the northwestern United States. Intermediate or andesitic lavas contain 52% to 63% silica, and are lower in aluminium and usually somewhat richer in magnesium and iron than felsic lavas. Intermediate lavas form andesite domes and block lavas and may occur on steep composite volcanoes , such as in the Andes . They are also commonly hotter than felsic lavas, in
4000-418: The most abundant elements of the Earth's crust , with smaller quantities of aluminium , calcium , magnesium , iron , sodium , and potassium and minor amounts of many other elements. Petrologists routinely express the composition of a silicate lava in terms of the weight or molar mass fraction of the oxides of the major elements (other than oxygen) present in the lava. The silica component dominates
4080-537: The Greek word ἄνω ( ánō ), meaning "up" ) is an ion with more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge (since electrons are negatively charged and protons are positively charged). A cation (+) ( / ˈ k æ t ˌ aɪ . ən / KAT -eye-ən , from the Greek word κάτω ( kátō ), meaning "down" ) is an ion with fewer electrons than protons, giving it a positive charge. There are additional names used for ions with multiple charges. For example, an ion with
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#17328591115694160-989: The aspect (thickness relative to lateral extent) of flows, the speed with which flows move, and the surface character of the flows. When highly viscous lavas erupt effusively rather than in their more common explosive form, they almost always erupt as high-aspect flows or domes. These flows take the form of block lava rather than ʻaʻā or pāhoehoe. Obsidian flows are common. Intermediate lavas tend to form steep stratovolcanoes, with alternating beds of lava from effusive eruptions and tephra from explosive eruptions. Mafic lavas form relatively thin flows that can move great distances, forming shield volcanoes with gentle slopes. In addition to melted rock, most lavas contain solid crystals of various minerals, fragments of exotic rocks known as xenoliths , and fragments of previously solidified lava. The crystal content of most lavas gives them thixotropic and shear thinning properties. In other words, most lavas do not behave like Newtonian fluids, in which
4240-519: The charge in an organic ion is formally centred on a carbon, it is termed a carbocation (if positively charged) or carbanion (if negatively charged). Monatomic ions are formed by the gain or loss of electrons to the valence shell (the outer-most electron shell) in an atom. The inner shells of an atom are filled with electrons that are tightly bound to the positively charged atomic nucleus , and so do not participate in this kind of chemical interaction. The process of gaining or losing electrons from
4320-409: The corresponding parent atom or molecule due to the smaller size of the electron cloud. One particular cation (that of hydrogen) contains no electrons, and thus consists of a single proton – much smaller than the parent hydrogen atom. Anion (−) and cation (+) indicate the net electric charge on an ion. An ion that has more electrons than protons, giving it a net negative charge, is named an anion, and
4400-418: The eruption. A cooling lava flow shrinks, and this fractures the flow. Basalt flows show a characteristic pattern of fractures. The uppermost parts of the flow show irregular downward-splaying fractures, while the lower part of the flow shows a very regular pattern of fractures that break the flow into five- or six-sided columns. The irregular upper part of the solidified flow is called the entablature , while
4480-654: The flood basalts of South America formed in this manner. Flood basalts typically crystallize little before they cease flowing, and, as a result, flow textures are uncommon in less silicic flows. On the other hand, flow banding is common in felsic flows. The morphology of lava describes its surface form or texture. More fluid basaltic lava flows tend to form flat sheet-like bodies, whereas viscous rhyolite lava flows form knobbly, blocky masses of rock. Lava erupted underwater has its own distinctive characteristics. ʻAʻā (also spelled aa , aʻa , ʻaʻa , and a-aa , and pronounced [ʔəˈʔaː] or / ˈ ɑː ( ʔ ) ɑː / )
4560-517: The flow of water and mud down the flanks of the volcano (a lahar ) after heavy rain . Solidified lava on the Earth's crust is predominantly silicate minerals : mostly feldspars , feldspathoids , olivine , pyroxenes , amphiboles , micas and quartz . Rare nonsilicate lavas can be formed by local melting of nonsilicate mineral deposits or by separation of a magma into immiscible silicate and nonsilicate liquid phases . Silicate lavas are molten mixtures dominated by oxygen and silicon ,
4640-454: The gaining or losing of elemental ions such as a proton, H , in neutral molecules. For example, when ammonia , NH 3 , accepts a proton, H —a process called protonation —it forms the ammonium ion, NH + 4 . Ammonia and ammonium have the same number of electrons in essentially the same electronic configuration , but ammonium has an extra proton that gives it a net positive charge. Ammonia can also lose an electron to gain
4720-435: The gas through the application of an electric field. The Geiger–Müller tube and the proportional counter both use a phenomenon known as a Townsend avalanche to multiply the effect of the original ionizing event by means of a cascade effect whereby the free electrons are given sufficient energy by the electric field to release further electrons by ion impact. When writing the chemical formula for an ion, its net charge
4800-491: The icy satellites of the Solar System 's giant planets . The lava's viscosity mostly determines the behavior of lava flows. While the temperature of common silicate lava ranges from about 800 °C (1,470 °F) for felsic lavas to 1,200 °C (2,190 °F) for mafic lavas, its viscosity ranges over seven orders of magnitude, from 10 cP (10 Pa⋅s) for felsic lavas to 10 cP (10 Pa⋅s) for mafic lavas. Lava viscosity
4880-404: The lava's chemical composition. This temperature range is similar to the hottest temperatures achievable with a forced air charcoal forge. Lava is most fluid when first erupted, becoming much more viscous as its temperature drops. Lava flows quickly develop an insulating crust of solid rock as a result of radiative loss of heat. Thereafter, the lava cools by a very slow conduction of heat through
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#17328591115694960-610: The lava. Other cations , such as ferrous iron, calcium, and magnesium, bond much more weakly to oxygen and reduce the tendency to polymerize. Partial polymerization makes the lava viscous, so lava high in silica is much more viscous than lava low in silica. Because of the role of silica in determining viscosity and because many other properties of a lava (such as its temperature) are observed to correlate with silica content, silicate lavas are divided into four chemical types based on silica content: felsic , intermediate , mafic , and ultramafic . Felsic or silicic lavas have
5040-417: The least energy. For example, a sodium atom, Na, has a single electron in its valence shell, surrounding 2 stable, filled inner shells of 2 and 8 electrons. Since these filled shells are very stable, a sodium atom tends to lose its extra electron and attain this stable configuration, becoming a sodium cation in the process On the other hand, a chlorine atom, Cl, has 7 electrons in its valence shell, which
5120-641: The liquid or solid state when salts interact with solvents (for example, water) to produce solvated ions , which are more stable, for reasons involving a combination of energy and entropy changes as the ions move away from each other to interact with the liquid. These stabilized species are more commonly found in the environment at low temperatures. A common example is the ions present in seawater, which are derived from dissolved salts. As charged objects, ions are attracted to opposite electric charges (positive to negative, and vice versa) and repelled by like charges. When they move, their trajectories can be deflected by
5200-464: The lower and upper boundaries. These are described as pipe-stem vesicles or pipe-stem amygdales . Liquids expelled from the cooling crystal mush rise upwards into the still-fluid center of the cooling flow and produce vertical vesicle cylinders . Where these merge towards the top of the flow, they form sheets of vesicular basalt and are sometimes capped with gas cavities that sometimes fill with secondary minerals. The beautiful amethyst geodes found in
5280-467: The lower part that shows columnar jointing is called the colonnade . (The terms are borrowed from Greek temple architecture.) Likewise, regular vertical patterns on the sides of columns, produced by cooling with periodic fracturing, are described as chisel marks . Despite their names, these are natural features produced by cooling, thermal contraction, and fracturing. As lava cools, crystallizing inwards from its edges, it expels gases to form vesicles at
5360-409: The lowest measured ionization energy of all the elements and helium has the greatest. In general, the ionization energy of metals is much lower than the ionization energy of nonmetals , which is why, in general, metals will lose electrons to form positively charged ions and nonmetals will gain electrons to form negatively charged ions. Ionic bonding is a kind of chemical bonding that arises from
5440-455: The luminescence of the Sun to the existence of the Earth's ionosphere . Atoms in their ionic state may have a different color from neutral atoms, and thus light absorption by metal ions gives the color of gemstones . In both inorganic and organic chemistry (including biochemistry), the interaction of water and ions is often relevant for understanding properties of systems; an example of their importance
5520-422: The mantle than subalkaline magmas. Olivine nephelinite lavas are both ultramafic and highly alkaline, and are thought to have come from much deeper in the mantle of the Earth than other lavas. Tholeiitic basalt lava Rhyolite lava Some lavas of unusual composition have erupted onto the surface of the Earth. These include: The term "lava" can also be used to refer to molten "ice mixtures" in eruptions on
5600-521: The minimal heat loss maintains a low viscosity. The surface texture of pāhoehoe flows varies widely, displaying all kinds of bizarre shapes often referred to as lava sculpture. With increasing distance from the source, pāhoehoe flows may change into ʻaʻā flows in response to heat loss and consequent increase in viscosity. Experiments suggest that the transition takes place at a temperature between 1,200 and 1,170 °C (2,190 and 2,140 °F), with some dependence on shear rate. Pahoehoe lavas typically have
5680-479: The most common Earth anion, oxygen . From this fact it is apparent that most of the space of a crystal is occupied by the anion and that the cations fit into the spaces between them." The terms anion and cation (for ions that respectively travel to the anode and cathode during electrolysis) were introduced by Michael Faraday in 1834 following his consultation with William Whewell . Ions are ubiquitous in nature and are responsible for diverse phenomena from
5760-454: The mutual attraction of oppositely charged ions. Ions of like charge repel each other, and ions of opposite charge attract each other. Therefore, ions do not usually exist on their own, but will bind with ions of opposite charge to form a crystal lattice . The resulting compound is called an ionic compound , and is said to be held together by ionic bonding . In ionic compounds there arise characteristic distances between ion neighbours from which
5840-451: The nature of these species, but he knew that since metals dissolved into and entered a solution at one electrode and new metal came forth from a solution at the other electrode; that some kind of substance has moved through the solution in a current. This conveys matter from one place to the other. In correspondence with Faraday, Whewell also coined the words anode and cathode , as well as anion and cation as ions that are attracted to
5920-446: The physical behavior of silicate magmas. Silicon ions in lava strongly bind to four oxygen ions in a tetrahedral arrangement. If an oxygen ion is bound to two silicon ions in the melt, it is described as a bridging oxygen, and lava with many clumps or chains of silicon ions connected by bridging oxygen ions is described as partially polymerized. Aluminium in combination with alkali metal oxides (sodium and potassium) also tends to polymerize
6000-440: The range of 850 to 1,100 °C (1,560 to 2,010 °F). Because of their lower silica content and higher eruptive temperatures, they tend to be much less viscous, with a typical viscosity of 3.5 × 10 cP (3,500 Pa⋅s) at 1,200 °C (2,190 °F). This is slightly greater than the viscosity of smooth peanut butter . Intermediate lavas show a greater tendency to form phenocrysts . Higher iron and magnesium tends to manifest as
6080-409: The rate of flow is proportional to the shear stress . Instead, a typical lava is a Bingham fluid , which shows considerable resistance to flow until a stress threshold, called the yield stress, is crossed. This results in plug flow of partially crystalline lava. A familiar example of plug flow is toothpaste squeezed out of a toothpaste tube. The toothpaste comes out as a semisolid plug, because shear
6160-659: The respective electrodes. Svante Arrhenius put forth, in his 1884 dissertation, the explanation of the fact that solid crystalline salts dissociate into paired charged particles when dissolved, for which he would win the 1903 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Arrhenius' explanation was that in forming a solution, the salt dissociates into Faraday's ions, he proposed that ions formed even in the absence of an electric current. Ions in their gas-like state are highly reactive and will rapidly interact with ions of opposite charge to give neutral molecules or ionic salts. Ions are also produced in
6240-606: The rocky crust. For instance, geologists of the United States Geological Survey regularly drilled into the Kilauea Iki lava lake, formed in an eruption in 1959. After three years, the solid surface crust, whose base was at a temperature of 1,065 °C (1,949 °F), was still only 14 m (46 ft) thick, even though the lake was about 100 m (330 ft) deep. Residual liquid was still present at depths of around 80 m (260 ft) nineteen years after
6320-434: The spatial extension and the ionic radius of individual ions may be derived. The most common type of ionic bonding is seen in compounds of metals and nonmetals (except noble gases , which rarely form chemical compounds). Metals are characterized by having a small number of electrons in excess of a stable, closed-shell electronic configuration . As such, they have the tendency to lose these extra electrons in order to attain
6400-480: Was recorded following the collapse of a lava lake at Mount Nyiragongo . The scaling relationship for lavas is that the average speed of a flow scales as the square of its thickness divided by its viscosity. This implies that a rhyolite flow would have to be about a thousand times thicker than a basalt flow to flow at a similar speed. The temperature of most types of molten lava ranges from about 800 °C (1,470 °F) to 1,200 °C (2,190 °F) depending on
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