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Critical Topics and Their Significance for the UPSC CSE Examination on March 24, 2025

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Volcanoes

For Preliminary Examination:  Current events of national and international importance

For Mains Examination:  GS I - World Geography

Context:

At least seven international flights from Indonesia’s resort island Bali have been cancelled, an airport official said on Friday, after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a twin-peaked volcano on Indonesia’s Flores Island, erupted on Thursday (March 20), prompting authorities to raise its alert status to the highest level.

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Volcanoes

Archipelago

Key takeaways:

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, volcanoes are natural openings in the Earth's surface through which molten rock, ash, and steam are released.

Formation and Types of Volcanoes

Volcanoes can be found both on land and beneath the ocean. They form when extremely hot material is expelled from the Earth's interior. This material includes molten rock—referred to as magma when underground and lava once it reaches the surface—along with ash and gases.

NASA explains that magma can rise through three primary mechanisms:

1. Diverging Tectonic Plates: When large sections of the Earth's crust (tectonic plates) move apart, magma rises to fill the gap, often leading to the formation of underwater volcanoes.

2. Converging Tectonic Plates: When plates collide, one section of the crust is pushed deep into the Earth's interior, where intense heat and pressure cause it to melt and rise as magma.

3. Hotspots: These are regions deep within the Earth where heat accumulates, reducing magma's density and causing it to move upward.

Volcanoes are categorized into four primary types based on their lava flow and its impact on the landscape:

• Cinder Cones

• Composite or Stratovolcanoes

• Shield Volcanoes

• Lava Domes

Predicting Volcanic Eruptions

Unlike earthquakes, volcanic eruptions can often be forecasted hours or even days in advance. Scientists analyze seismic activity, track ground deformation due to magma movement, and measure volcanic gas emissions. Ch