Chapter 7, Problem 1QR

To determine

The time required for the operation of a subduction zone as well as a volcano and number of years passed between volcanic eruptions of an active volcano.

Answer to Problem 1QR

The subduction zone requires tens of millions of years to operate, and one volcano would need around millions of years to operate. An active volcano would require around many years to decades for an eruption.

Explanation of Solution

The subduction zone is a type of fault area, which is characterized by the occurrence of swarm of earthquakes. These areas have tremendous amounts of stored energy, which is released periodically in the events of earthquakes. The subduction zone operates only when there is a collision between the plate boundaries or there is an event of oceanic expansion. These processes do not occur frequently. Therefore, subduction zones generally takes tens of millions of years to operate.

Most of the volcanoes require millions of years to operate. Active volcanoes are defined as the type of volcanoes which have undergone at least one eruption in the past 10,000 years. These volcanoes generally take years or decades for a single eruption.