Vulcanian Eruption
A Vulcanian eruption is a short, violent, relatively small explosion of viscous magma. Vulcanian eruptions create powerful explosions in which material can travel faster than 350 meters per second (800 mph) and rise serveral kilometers into the air. Vulcanian eruptions may be repetitive and go on for days , months , or years , or they may precede even larger explosive eruptions. They are named for the Italian island of Vulcano , where a small volcano that experienced this type of explosive eruption was thought to be the vent above the forge of the Roman smith god Vulcan. An example of a Vulcanian eruption is a Sakurajima Volcano in Japan.