
In
volcanology
Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma and related geology, geological, geophysical and geochemistry, geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term ''volcanology'' is derived from the Latin language, Latin ...
, a Strombolian eruption is a type of
volcanic eruption
A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior h ...
with relatively mild blasts, typically having a
Volcanic Explosivity Index of 1 or 2.
Strombolian eruptions consist of ejection of incandescent
cinders,
lapilli, and
volcanic bombs, to altitudes of tens to a few hundreds of metres. The eruptions are small to medium in volume, with sporadic violence. This type of eruption is named for the
Italian volcano
Stromboli.
The
tephra
Tephra is fragmental material produced by a Volcano, volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism.
Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, ...
typically glows red when leaving the vent, but its surface cools and assumes a dark to black colour and may significantly solidify before impact. The tephra accumulates in the vicinity of the vent, forming a
cinder cone
A cinder cone or scoria cone is a steep, volcanic cone, conical landform of loose pyroclastic rock, pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic ash, clinkers, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are forme ...
. Cinder is the most common product; the amount of
volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, produced during volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used to r ...
is typically rather minor.
The
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 Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
flows are more
viscous, and therefore shorter and thicker, than the corresponding
Hawaiian eruptions; it may or may not be accompanied by production of
pyroclastic rock.
Instead the gas coalesces into bubbles, called
gas slugs, that grow large enough to rise through the magma column, bursting near the top due to the decrease in pressure and throwing magma into the air. Each episode thus releases volcanic gases, sometimes as frequently as a few minutes apart. Gas slugs can form as deep as 3 kilometers, making them difficult to predict.

Strombolian eruptive activity can be very long-lasting because the conduit system is not strongly affected by the eruptive activity, so that the eruptive system can repeatedly reset itself.
Monogenetic cones usually erupt in the Strombolian style. For example, the
Parícutin volcano erupted continuously between 1943–1952,
Mount Erebus, Antarctica has produced Strombolian eruptions for at least many decades, and
Stromboli itself has been producing Strombolian eruptions for over two thousand years. The Romans referred to Stromboli as the "Lighthouse of the Mediterranean".
Violent Strombolian
The most energetic Strombolian eruptions are sometimes termed "violent Strombolian" by volcanologists.
Such eruptions are associated with higher magma gas content, leading to a turbulent
churn flow regime in the conduit, producing stronger and much more frequent explosions.
Violent Strombolian eruptions are more explosive in nature than their regular counterparts (up to
VEI 3), and may produce sustained lava fountains,
long distance lava flows,
eruption columns several kilometres in height,
and heavy ash fallout.
Rarely, Violent Strombolian eruptions may transition into
Subplinian eruptions.
Examples of violent Strombolian activity include the paroxysms of
Mt. Etna, the 1943-1952 eruption of
Parícutin,
the 2021
Cumbre Vieja eruption,
and various eruptions of
Mt. Vesuvius between 1631 and 1944.
See also
*
Types of volcanic eruptions
A volcanic eruption occurs when material is expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure vent, fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of ...
References
External links
explanation with photos on academic siteModelling of Volcano for CG/CFDPapers with abstracts, images, and PDFs of modelling of Strombolian (explosive) volcano for computer graphics (CG) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The main entrance page i
here
{{Types of volcanic eruptions