Volcanic eruptions are mainly divided into two types: effusive, where lava flows and escapes, and explosive, where the magma is fragmented by the explosion of the gas bubbles inside it.
Explosive eruptions are divided into 5-6 main types, and are grouped by considering the total energy of the eruption and the distance travelled in relation to the emission point of the products of their explosions.
If lava flows are prevalent, we have both Hawaiian eruptions, typical of the Hawaiian archipelago, and Icelandic eruptions; their explosiveness is very low.
In the presence of both effusive and explosive eruptions, but with prevalence of the former, we talk about Strombolian eruptions, typical of the island of Stromboli. In the presence of mixed effusive and explosive activity, but with prevalence of the latter, we have Vulcanian eruptions, which takes its name from the island of Vulcano, and Plinian eruptions, which are much more energetic in nature.
Pelean eruptions, whose name originates from Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes, are highly explosive, with fire clouds forming along the sides of the volcano.
