A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic objectcreated when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of pressure if rising volatile-charged magma is trapped beneath it, and this can sometimes lead to an explosive eruption. Glacial erosion can lead to exposure of the plug on one side, while a long slope of material remains on the opposite side. Such landforms are called crag and tail. If a plug is preserved, erosion may remove the surrounding rock while the erosion-resistant plug remains, producing a distinctive upstanding landform.
An example of two volcanic plugs can be found at the Pitons, in SaintLucia, as they rise abruptly out of the eastern Caribbean Sea.
Copyright 2024 puzzlefactory.com All rights reserved.