An opening in the earth's crust that allows hot molten lava, ash and gases to escape from below the surface
, is called a volcano.
What is a volcano for kids?
A volcano is
a mountain or hill with an opening
. When a volcano erupts, magma is pushed up through the opening with great force. When magma reaches the Earth's surface, it is called lava. Lava can be as hot as 2,200°F (1,204°C). Some volcanic eruptions are explosive.
What is volcano in simple words?
A volcano is
an opening in the earth's crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape
. … Beneath a volcano, liquid magma containing dissolved gases rises through cracks in the Earth's crust. As the magma rises, pressure decreases, allowing the gases to form bubbles.
What exactly is a volcano?
Let's review. A volcano is
a vent in the earth's crust through which lava, rock fragments, hot vapor and gases are ejected
. A volcano begins to form when magma, which is hot molten rock from deep within the earth, rises toward the earth's surface and collects in magma chambers.
Where is a volcano?
Sixty percent of all active volcanoes occur at
the boundaries between tectonic plates
. Most volcanoes are found along a belt, called the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. Some volcanoes, like those that form the Hawaiian Islands, occur in the interior of plates at areas called “hot spots.”
What causes volcano?
On land, volcanoes form when
one tectonic plate moves under another
. Usually a thin, heavy oceanic plate subducts, or moves under, a thicker continental plate. … When enough magma builds up in the magma chamber, it forces its way up to the surface and erupts, often causing volcanic eruptions.
How many volcanoes are active today?
There are currently
26 active volcanoes
erupting around the world today. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), there are about 1,500 potentially active volcanoes worldwide, with about 500 of the 1,500 erupting in historical times.
What are 10 facts about volcano?
- There are Three Major Kinds of Volcanoes: …
- Volcanoes Erupt Because of Escaping Magma: …
- Volcanoes can be Active, Dormant or Extinct: …
- Volcanoes can Grow Quickly: …
- There are 20 Volcanoes Erupting Right Now: …
- Volcanoes are Dangerous: …
- Supervolcanoes are Really Dangerous:
What is the oldest volcano?
How old is the oldest volcano? The oldest volcano is probably
Etna
and that is about 350,000 years old. Most of the active volcanoes that we know about seem to be less than 100,000 years old. Volcanoes grow because lava or ash accumulates on the volcano, adding layers and height.
What is the largest volcano in the world?
Mauna Loa on the Island Hawaiʻi
is the world's largest volcano. People residing on its flanks face many hazards that come with living on or near an active volcano, including lava flows, explosive eruptions, volcanic smog, damaging earthquakes, and local tsunami (giant seawaves).
Can extinct volcanoes erupt?
Volcanoes are classified as active, dormant, or extinct. … Dormant volcanoes have not erupted for a very long time but may erupt at a future time.
Extinct volcanoes are not expected to erupt in the future
. Inside an active volcano is a chamber in which molten rock, called magma, collects.
What is the 5 description of volcano?
A volcano is
a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth
. … In an eruption, gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can cause lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods.
What country has the most volcanoes?
With more than 13,000 islands,
Indonesia
leads the world with the largest number of active volcanoes. The areas volcanoes have also produced the most fatalities.
How does lava explode?
As
the magma rises, bubbles of gas form inside it
. Runny magma erupts through openings or vents in the earth's crust before flowing onto its surface as lava. If magma is thick, gas bubbles cannot easily escape and pressure builds up as the magma rises. … this can build up enough pressure to cause an explosion.
What is the difference between magma and lava?
Scientists use the term
magma
for molten rock that is underground and lava for molten rock that breaks through the Earth's surface.
