| volcanic | 1. Of or pertaining to a volcano or volcanoes; as, volcanic heat. 2. Produced by a volcano, or, more generally, by igneous agencies; as, volcanic tufa. 3. Changed or affected by the heat of a volcano. Volcanic bomb, a mass ejected from a volcano, often of molten lava having a rounded form. Volcanic cone, a hill, conical in form, built up of cinders, tufa, or lava, during volcanic eruptions. Volcanic foci, the subterranean centers of volcanic action; the points beneath volcanoes where the causes producing volcanic phenomena are most active. Volcanic glass, the vitreous form of lava, produced by sudden cooling; obsidian. See Obsidian. Volcanic mud, fetid, sulphurous mud discharged by a volcano. Volcanic rocks, rocks which have been produced from the discharges of volcanic matter, as the various kinds of basalt, trachyte, scoria, obsidian, etc, whether compact, scoriaceous, or vitreous. Origin: Cf. F. Volcanique, It. Vulcanico. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| volcanic eruption | The ash, dust, gases, and lava released by volcanic explosion. The gases are volatile matter composed principally of about 90% water vapor, and carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. The ash or dust is pyroclastic ejecta and lava is molten extrusive material consisting mainly of magnesium silicate. (12 Dec 1998) |