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Interesting Facts about Volcanoes

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 - Weather Wiz 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? What is pumice? What is the largest active volcano? What is the Ring of Fire? When did Mount St. Click Here for more info on Mount St. Know the Lingo

Volcano Facts 6. Volcanoes are classified as active, dormant or extinct depending on the amount of volcanic activity happening. 'Active' means there's regular activity, 'dormant' means there's been recent activity but that it's currently quiet and 'extinct', meaning it's been so long since the last eruption that it's unlikely to ever erupt again. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Volcanoes Volcanoes Image source: iStockphoto Earthquakes You might not realise but the ground beneath us never stops moving. Only when the movement is sudden and powerful do we take note. science Years: 6,7 8 Some mountains are still growing! Did you know that the mountains of New Zealand are still slowly growing higher and that Australia is gradually moving towards the... Science Year: 9 Earthquakes science Years: 6,7 8 Some mountains are still growing! Science Year: 9 Tectonic boundaries: convergent How does the movement of tectonic plates affect the Earth's surface? Sleeping giant awakens on Montserrat The small Caribbean island of Montserrat is home to a volcano that lay dormant for over 300 years until it erupted in 1995. Geography Year: 8 Predicting volcanic eruptions Imagine a volcano erupting kilometres away. Science Years: 6,9 Living next door to a deadly volcano Imagine living in the shadow of a volcano? Wildlife sanctuary in Ngorongoro Crater Geography Years: 4,8 9 Earthquakes and volcanoes Follow us:

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