Volcanism and Gorons

NOTE TO GEOG 1202 STUDENTS: This is an A- example blog

There are many things that make the land of Hyrule unique but none more that its solitary volcano: Death Mountain. As seen below, Death Mountain has the clearly defined tall steep shape of a composite volcano. The alternating colors down the slopes of the cone indicate different flows and eruptions that built the colossus it is today.

Death Mountain on a clear day. (in game shot)

Death Mountain is still growing and still very active. There are frequent eruptions in which pyroclastics such as tephra, cinders, and bombs assail the volcano's base and sides. These are small events but still very dangerous. The video below shows a resident shielding himself from a barrage of falling volcanic rock:

Pyroclastics falling from Death Mountain. (in game footage)

Despite its unruly behavior and daunting name Death Mountain is a vital source of life to its inhabitants: the Gorons. Gorons are a hardy people that live on the side of Death Mountain in a large cavern and system of tunnels presumably lava tubes. Examples of both are shown below.

Inside Goron City. The tiers show layers of development. (in game shot)

Entrance to Goron city. The arced tunnel is a characteristic of a lava tube. (in game shot)

These were created during a lava flow in which the outer shell cooled faster than the inner core which kept moving hollowing out the tunnels. This an odd occurrence since lava tubes are generally associated with fast moving flood basalt flows which are far less viscous than general composite volcanoes produce.