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Fumarole identification and geology

A vent or opening in the Earth's surface from which volcanic gases and steam are emitted, typically found in active volcanic areas, geothermal fields, and the flanks or craters of volcanoes. Fumarolic gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen fluoride. Mineral deposits sulfur, gypsum, opal commonly form around fumarole vents. Field: volcanology. Example: The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska was named for the countless fumaroles that issued from the 1912 Novarupta pyroclastic flow deposit, though most have since ceased as the deposit cooled.. Related terms: Solfatara, Geothermal, Volcanic gas, Hydrothermal.

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Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:42.127987+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Fumarole mean in geology?
A vent or opening in the Earth's surface from which volcanic gases and steam are emitted, typically found in active volcanic areas, geothermal fields, and the flanks or craters of volcanoes. Fumarolic gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen fluoride. Mineral deposits sulfur, gypsum, opal commonly form around fumarole vents.
What is an example of Fumarole?
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska was named for the countless fumaroles that issued from the 1912 Novarupta pyroclastic flow deposit, though most have since ceased as the deposit cooled.
Which earth-science field uses the term Fumarole?
Fumarole is used in volcanology.
Which terms are related to Fumarole?
Related terms in this reference are Solfatara, Geothermal, Volcanic gas, Hydrothermal.

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