Large Volcanic Bombs
A volcanic bomb is a mass of molten rock that is bigger than 64 mm which is about 2.5 inches in diameter to 6 feet. They are formed when a volcano erupts and ejects fragments of lava into the air. When they cool they turn into a solid fragment before they reach the ground. Many of the bombs acquire a rounded aerodynamic while traveling thorugh the air. Some bombs cool in the air before they ever hit the ground, but some are viscous which cause their shape to change when hitting the ground. The bombs can be thrown many kilometers, while others may only travel a few hundred meters which will cause the bomb not to cool before hitting the ground making it an odd shape. There are many different kinds of kinds of bombs that vary according to the lava and the force of the eruption. The bombs are named according to their shapes. Some of the different types are:
*Bread crust bombs - they may have a cracked surface; the outer shell of the bomb cools, but the hot gases that are inside are still expanding and crack the outer layer of the rock.
*Core Bombs - a chunk of lava that has cooled around some kind of solid core.
*Cow Pie Bombs - look like big cow patty's. These bombs are not fully hardened when they hit the ground, and flatten on impact.
*Explosion Bombs - have a break on the sides where hot gas inside the bomb blasted out.
*Fusiform Bombs - elongated and streamlined, forming their shape as they harden through the air.
*Ribbon Bombs - long skinnk strips of lava that are thrown from the volcano, which will then break on impact.
*Slag Bombs - have a very glassy porous exterior.
*Teardrop Bombs - look like rocky raindrops; blast out of the volcano as liquid and then solidify into a raindrop shape.
*Bread crust bombs - they may have a cracked surface; the outer shell of the bomb cools, but the hot gases that are inside are still expanding and crack the outer layer of the rock.
*Core Bombs - a chunk of lava that has cooled around some kind of solid core.
*Cow Pie Bombs - look like big cow patty's. These bombs are not fully hardened when they hit the ground, and flatten on impact.
*Explosion Bombs - have a break on the sides where hot gas inside the bomb blasted out.
*Fusiform Bombs - elongated and streamlined, forming their shape as they harden through the air.
*Ribbon Bombs - long skinnk strips of lava that are thrown from the volcano, which will then break on impact.
*Slag Bombs - have a very glassy porous exterior.
*Teardrop Bombs - look like rocky raindrops; blast out of the volcano as liquid and then solidify into a raindrop shape.