INTERESTING EXPLOSIVE VOLCANO FACTS!

1. Put simply, a volcano is an opening in the Earth’s surface.

Usually found in a mountain, the opening allows gas, hot magma and ash to escape from beneath the Earth’s crust.

2. The word “volcano” comes from the Roman name “Vulcan”.

“But who was Vulcan?” you might ask. He was the Roman god of fire!

3. Volcanoes are often found at meeting points of “tectonic plates”.

These plates are pieces of the Earth’s surface that fit together just like a jigsaw puzzle.

4. Volcanoes can also occur over “mantle plumes”.

Ever heard of mantle plumes? They’re super-hot areas of rock inside the Earth!

5. Approximately 350 million people live within “danger range” of an active volcano.

That means that around one in 20 people live in an area at risk of volcanic activity.

6. Volcanoes are classified as active, dormant or extinct.

This refers to the amount of volcanic activity. “Active” means there’s regular activity, “dormant” means there’s been recent activity but the volcano is currently quiet, and “extinct” means it’s been so long since the last eruption that it’s unlikely to ever erupt again.

7. Volcanoes can be a variety of shapes.

These geographical wonders come in various shapes and sizes, but there are two main types – composite volcanoes, which are cone-shaped with steep slopes, and shield volcanoes, which are wide with gentle slopes.

8. Magma and lava are two different things!

Magma is the name given to hot liquid rock inside a volcano. Once it leaves the volcano, it’s known as lava.

9. Volcanoes don’t just occur on land.

They can be found on the ocean floor and under ice caps, too!

10. Lava from a volcano can reach 1,250°C!

Lava is so hot it can burn everything in its path. If you used a glass thermometer to take the temperature it would melt!

11. The world’s largest active volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

Standing a whopping 4,169m tall, this geological giant last erupted in 1984.