Volcano Facts, Volcano Information, Volcano Videos, Volcano Photos. Volcanoes are awesome manifestations of the fiery power contained deep within the Earth.
These formations are essentially vents on the Earth's surface where molten rock, debris, and gases from the planet's interior are emitted. When thick magma and large amounts of gas build up under the surface, eruptions can be explosive, expelling lava, rocks and ash into the air. Less gas and more viscous magma usually mean a less dramatic eruption, often causing streams of lava to ooze from the vent. The mountain-like mounds that we associate with volcanoes are what remain after the material spewed during eruptions has collected and hardened around the vent.
This can happen over a period of weeks or many millions of years. A large eruption can be extremely dangerous for people living near a volcano. Volcanoes tend to exist along the edges between tectonic plates, massive rock slabs that make up Earth's surface. Volcano Explorer" How Volcanoes Work" Whenever there is a major volcanic eruption in the world, you'll see a slew of newspaper articles and nightly news stories covering the catastrophe, all stressing a familiar set of words -- violent, raging, awesome.
When faced with a spewing volcano, people today share many of the same feelings volcano-observers have had throughout human history: We are in awe of the destructive power of nature, and we are unsettled by the thought that a peaceful mountain can suddenly become an unstoppable destructive force! While scientists have cleared up much of the mystery surrounding volcanoes, our knowledge has not made volcanoes any less amazing. In this article, we'll take a look at the powerful, violent forces that create eruptions, and see how these eruptions build volcanic structures like islands. When people think of volcanoes, the first image that comes to mind is probably a tall, conical mountain with orange lava spewing out the top. There are certainly many volcanoes of this type. Volcano Photos, Volcano Wallpapers, Pictures, Images.
Weather Wiz Kids weather information for kids. Volcanoes (Volcanoes are not associated with weather, but instead are natural disasters.)
What is a volcano? A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can cause lateral blasts, lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods.
Click Here to learn more about volcanoes from USGS. How are volcanoes formed? What are plate tectonics? Click Here to learn more about plate tectonics and the drifting of our continents. How many volcanoes are there? What are the different types of volcanoes? What is the difference between lava and magma? Why does lava take a long time to cool down? What is a pyroclastic flow? What is lahar? Volcano. A volcano is a place on the Earth's surface (or any other planet's or moon's surface) where molten rock, gases and pyroclastic debris erupt through the earth's crust.
Volcanoes vary quite a bit in their structure - some are cracks in the earth's crust where lava erupts, and some are domes, shields, or mountain-like structures with a crater at the summit. Magma is molten rock within the Earth's crust. When magma erupts through the earth's surface it is called lava. Lava can be thick and slow-moving or thin and fast-moving. Rock also comes from volcanoes in other forms, including ash (finely powdered rock that looks like dark smoke coming from the volcano), cinders (bits of fragmented lava), and pumice (light-weight rock that is full of air bubbles and is formed in explosive volcanic eruptions - this type of rock can float on water). Volcanic eruptions can cause great damage and the loss of life and property. Volcanoes. Learn about Volcanic Eruptions, Lava & Magma with a Fun Volcano Song!
Make a vinegar volcano with baking soda & vinegar. Fun Volcano Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Volcanoes. Volcanoes are openings in the Earth’s surface.
When they are active they can let ash, gas and hot magma escape in sometimes violent and spectacular eruptions. The word volcano originally comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. Volcanoes are usually located where tectonic plates meet. This is especially true for the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area around the Pacific Ocean where over 75% of the volcanoes on Earth are found. While most volcanoes form near tectonic boundaries, they can also form in areas that contain abnormally hot rock inside the Earth. Volcano Eruptions. Volcano Lava. Volcanic Eruption Types - Geology For Kids. Volcanoes And Land Formation - Geology For Kids. Volcanic Hot Spots - Geology For Kids. Volcanic Hot Spots In many locations the hot molten magma from deep within the Earth rises up through the crust to reach the surface.
This sometimes happens in the middle of plates. When a hot spot forms in the middle of a plate, it remains constant, as the plate continues to move over it. BBC Earth - Volcano videos - Icelandic volcanoes, monster volcanoes.