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volcanism

 
Dictionary: vol·ca·nism   (vŏl'kə-nĭz'əm) pronunciation
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also vul·ca·nism (vŭl'-)
n.
  1. Volcanic force or activity.
  2. The phenomena associated with volcanic activity.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: volcanism
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Any of various processes and phenomena associated with the surface discharge of molten rock or hot water and steam, including volcanoes, geysers, and fumaroles. Most active volcanoes occur where two plates converge and one overrides the other (see plate tectonics). Volcanism can also occur along the axis of an oceanic ridge, where the plates move apart and magma wells up from the mantle. A few volcanoes occur within plates, far from margins. Some of these are thought to occur as a plate moves over a "hot spot" from which magma can penetrate to the surface; others appear to result from an extremely slow form of plate spreading.

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WordNet: volcanism
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: the phenomena associated with volcanic activity

 
 
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vulcanism
volcanology (geology)
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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more