What is the term for a volcanic eruption characterized by explosive activity?

A volcanic eruption characterized by explosive activity is aptly referred to as a Plinian eruption. This term is named after the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, who provided a detailed account of the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Plinian eruptions are known for their highly explosive nature, which results from the rapid ascent of volatile-rich magma. This type of eruption produces a significant volume of volcanic ash and pumice, with columns of volcanic ash that can reach heights of tens of kilometers into the atmosphere.

The defining feature of Plinian eruptions is their capability to generate powerful explosive eruptions due to the accumulation of gas pressure in the magma. As the gas expands, it leads to explosive fragmentation, creating towering ash plumes that can affect air travel and climate over vast distances.

While other types of eruptions, like stratovolcanic eruptions, can also be characterized by explosive activity, they may not be as specifically defined or typically explosive as Plinian eruptions. Hawaiian eruptions, on the other hand, are primarily effusive, characterized by the outpouring of low-viscosity basaltic lava rather than explosive pyrotechnic events. Phreatomagmatic eruptions arise when water interacts with hot magma but