phreatic
adjective
phre·at·ic
frē-ˈa-tik 
1
: of, relating to, or being groundwater
2
: of, relating to, or being an explosion caused by steam derived from groundwater
Examples of phreatic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In that case, the ongoing seismic activity could stop abruptly or peak in a phreatic eruption—the volcano would spurt out hot liquids, gases and rock fragments instead of lava.
—
Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2023
The blast at Whakaari in 2019, the explosion on Japan's Intake in 2014, a phreatic eruption on the Philippine's Mayon in 2013 -- all of these events killed people who should likely not have been so close to a potentially explosive and active volcano.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2023
This all could mean that new magma is moving under Taal and this phreatic blast is just another sign that Taal is heading towards a potential new period of activity or larger explosions.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2020
Its eruptions range from phreatic (steam-driven) to Plinian—extremely explosive eruptions that can send volcanic debris tens of miles into the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Time, 15 June 2023
Now, this explosion may be a one-off at Kusatsu as many phreatic eruptions are.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2018
In fact, the eruption on Ontake in Japan that killed over 40 people in 2014 was also a phreatic explosion with little in the way of earthquakes or other signs an eruption could happen.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2018
Ontake has a limited history of phreatic explosions but so do most volcanoes in settings like Japan (or the Cascades for that matter).
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2014
However, the evidence suggests that this eruption was phreatic—that is, driven by gas and steam, not new magma.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 Oct. 2016
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Alessio Perrone, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2023
The blast at Whakaari in 2019, the explosion on Japan's Intake in 2014, a phreatic eruption on the Philippine's Mayon in 2013 -- all of these events killed people who should likely not have been so close to a potentially explosive and active volcano.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2023
This all could mean that new magma is moving under Taal and this phreatic blast is just another sign that Taal is heading towards a potential new period of activity or larger explosions.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2020
Its eruptions range from phreatic (steam-driven) to Plinian—extremely explosive eruptions that can send volcanic debris tens of miles into the Earth’s atmosphere.
—Time, 15 June 2023
Now, this explosion may be a one-off at Kusatsu as many phreatic eruptions are.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2018
In fact, the eruption on Ontake in Japan that killed over 40 people in 2014 was also a phreatic explosion with little in the way of earthquakes or other signs an eruption could happen.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2018
Ontake has a limited history of phreatic explosions but so do most volcanoes in settings like Japan (or the Cascades for that matter).
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 28 Sep. 2014
However, the evidence suggests that this eruption was phreatic—that is, driven by gas and steam, not new magma.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 13 Oct. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Phreatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phreatic. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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