What is a caldera crater?
Craters are formed by the outward explosion of rocks and other materials from a volcano. Calderas are formed by the inward collapse of a volcano. Craters are usually more circular than calderas. (Calderas may have parts of their sides missing because land collapses unevenly.)
What are the unique qualities of the pululahua volcano in Ecuador?
The Pululahua volcano is a caldera that is actually inhabited by people! In fact, it is one of only two craters in the world that is inhabited, and it is the only one that has its land cultivated. The Pululahua volcano, now inactive, has rich soil because of the volcanic ash left from past eruptions.
What is a volcano crater called?
During certain types of gigantic eruptions, the volcano’s magma chamber may empty enough for an area above it to subside. This dropped surface crater is called a caldera.
Can you live in caldera?
Pululahua is one of only two volcanic caldera in the world that is inhabited, and the only one that is cultivated. Named for the Quichua term meaning “smoke of water” or “cloud of water,” referring to the fog that rolls in and fills the crater each day, the caldera was likely first settled by the Incas.
Is caldera a volcano?
A caldera is a large depression formed when a volcano erupts and collapses. During a volcanic eruption, magma present in the magma chamber underneath the volcano is expelled, often forcefully. When the magma chamber empties, the support that the magma had provided inside the chamber disappears.
What is inside a volcano crater?
The crater is the bowl shaped opening located at the top of the volcano. The crater is also the steep sided walls made of hardened lava that surround the main vent. Lava can flow from the main vent, but not all volcanoes eject large amounts of lava.
Do caldera volcanoes erupt?
What is caldera based on?
A caldera is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcanic eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is lost.
What are craters Class 3?
A crater is a large, circular depression surrounding the vent at the top of a volcano or on its flanks that is caused by volcanic activity.