The impact of volcanoes on ecosystems ranges from catastrophic local effects to diffuse global effects (for citations see Rampino et al., 1988). Volcanic eruptions can result in complete destruction of ecosystems close to the volcano. Volcanic ash falls vary in their effects from total burial of ecosystems to negligible, depending on their depth. Volcanic gases can have a variety of toxic effects. Extremely large volcanic eruptions can have global effects due to releases of large quantities of carbon dioxide and high-altitude aerosols.
There are several different types of volcanoes with differing types of hazards and resulting ecological effects. Most of the variations between volcanoes are related to the silica content of their lava, which in turn governs its viscosity. Generally, the more viscous the lava, the less readily gases can escape from it and the more violent the eruptions. Silica-poor lava, called basalt (45–55 per cent SiO2), is quite fluid. Gases can bubble through...
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© 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Dutch, S. (1999). Volcanoes, impacts on ecosystems. In: Environmental Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_347
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_347
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