Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a heat source, usually internally generated, inside the body; the heat is generated by various processes, such as radioactive decay or tidal heating. This heat partially melts solid material in the body or turns material into gas. The mobilized material rises through the body's interior and may break through the solid surface.

Cause of volcanism

For volcanism to occur, the temperature of the mantle must have risen to about half its melting point. At this point, the mantle’s viscosity will have dropped to about 10²¹ Pascal-seconds. When large scale melting occurs, the viscosity rapidly falls to 10³ Pascal-seconds or even less, increasing the heat transport rate a million-fold.

The occurrence of volcanism is partially due to the fact that melted material tends to be more mobile and less dense than the materials from which they were produced, which can cause it to rise to the surface.

Heat source

There are multiple ways to generate the heat needed for volcanism. Volcanism on outer solar system moons is powered mainly by tidal heating.