Magmas in the magma chamber of a volcano are often compared to soda to explain how the magma is erupted. How is magma like a bottle of soda? What happens to both substances when the pressure changes?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Magma and soda both contain dissolved gases. While the magma is beneath the ground, it is under a great deal of confining pressure, which is too great to allow gas bubbles to form in the magma. These volatiles then exist as individual molecules within the melt. In the case of soda, it is bottled under 4-5 atmospheres of pressure, which force the carbon dioxide gases to behave in a similar fashion. (Think about it: when you look at an unopened, undisturbed bottle of soda on the shelf, do you see any bubbles?) However, when something happens to lower the pressure on each substance, bubbles begin to form. With decreasing pressure, gas bubbles become larger. Gases rise up, carrying small amounts of liquid material between them. These gases will assist in expelling both substances from their respective "containers."
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