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What is a volcano?
A volcano is a very deep hole in the Earth’s top layer that can let out hot gasses, ash and lava. Many volcanoes are also mountains.
Volcanoes have long shafts that go all the way down through the Earth’s first layer, the crust, to magma in between the crust and the mantle (the Earth’s second layer). It’s so hot there that rocks melt into liquid! This is called magma, which travels up through volcanoes and flows out as lava .
Top 10 facts
- Volcanoes are big holes that let out hot gasses , ash and magma from deep inside the Earth.
- Many volcanoes are mountains , made up of layers of lava and ash.
- Many volcanoes have several vents – a main one, and secondary ones that branch off the main vent. The volcano’s main vent goes all the way down to the layer of magma in between the Earth’s crust and mantle.
- The Earth has three layers – the crust at the very top, then the mantle , then the core at the very middle of the planet.
- There are three ways to describe a volcano and explain what it’s doing – active , erupting , and dormant .
- An extinct volcano is one that hasn’t erupted in at least 10,000 years, and that scientists don’t think will erupt again for a very long time.
- The largest active volcano in the world is Mauna Loa, on the Hawaiian islands.
- When a volcano erupts, magma comes up and out through the vents. Magma is called lava when it’s outside the volcano.
- Depending on how thick the magma is, volcanoes can be different shapes such as shield , composite or dome .
- Ash from volcanoes is very good for growing things. It adds nutrients to the soil.
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Did you know?
- crust (at the top)
- mantle (in the middle)
- core (in the centre)
- There are 1,500 active volcanoes in the world and about 50 volcanoes erupt every year!
- Most volcanoes can be found in countries that have coastlines on the Pacific Ocean – this is called the Ring of Fire.
- Gas, ash and magma can come out of volcanoes.
- When magma flows out of a volcano, it’s called lava .
- Most of the gas that comes out of volcanoes is poisonous.
- Some volcanoes are underwater!
- There aren’t any volcanoes in the UK. The largest volcano in Europe is Mount Etna in Sicily (Italy).
- The word ‘volcano’ comes from ‘ Vulcan ’, the Roman god of fire
Volcano pictures
Have a look through the images in the gallery and see if you can spot the following:
- The parts of a volcano © Anthony Bennett, Internet Geography
- A volcano in Hawaii
- Molten lava
- A smoking crater in New Zealand
- An eruption at Mount Krakatoa, between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia
- Flowing lava
- Mount Etna in Sicily in Italy
- A lava cloud in Hawaii
There are lots of different types and sizes of volcanoes , from small cracks in the Earth's surface to huge mountains which have been built up by lots of layers of lava and ash.
Magma is liquid rock in between the crust and the mantle, formed when part of the lower crust or upper mantle melts.
When magma travels up through a volcano’s vent, bubbles of gas also appear. All the gas builds up pressure, which causes the magma to explode out of the volcano. When magma is thin, the gas bubbles can rise and pop easily – volcanoes located over thin magma don’t have very large explosions. When magma is thick, the gas bubbles get trapped and the pressure builds up so much that the explosion shoots high up into the air. If magma cools down as it rushes up the vent, it will come out as rock or ash.
Volcanoes can be very dangerous; some of the worst natural dissters in human history have been caused by erupting volcanoes. Lava flowing out of volcanoes can burn and destroy anything in its path, and ash can be so thick in the air that it’s hard to breathe. Earthquakes can happen when a volcano erupts, causing very large waves called tsunamis . If gases and ash get into the atmosphere, it can even change the weather by causing thunderstorms and cool temperatures.
When volcanoes haven't erupted for many years (perhaps thousands!), people begin to live near them in order to farm the land which is very fertile thanks to the volcanic ash. If the volcano does erupt, there can be huge loss of human life in nearby cities. In the biggest explosion in recorded history, the eruption of Tambora in Indonesia in 1815, an estimated 60,000 people lost their lives and the ash cloud affected farming, causing the worst famine of the century.
Volcanologists (scientists who study volcanoes) can sometimes tell if a volcano is going to erupt by keeping track of earthquakes underneath it. The types of gases coming out of the vent can also change close to an eruption. Animals living near a volcano may start to act differently, as if they can sense something is going to happen.
The Earth’s surface is made up of lots of pieces called tectonic plates . These plates can slide against each other, which lets magma from underneath squeeze up through the cracks. When tectonic plates move, it also causes earthquakes. Most volcanoes are located along the edges of tectonic plates, especially around the Pacific Ocean – this is called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The ancient Romans wrote about a huge volcanic eruption that happened in 79 AD in Pompeii . The ash and rocks that erupted out of Mount Vesuvius buried nearby towns and killed more than 2,000 people. Mount Vesuvius is dormant today.
Other famous volcanic eruptions in history are:
- Mount Tambora (Indonesia) in 1815
- Krakatoa (Indonesia) in 1883
- Mount Pelée (Martinique) in 1902
- Mount St Helens (Washington, USA) in 1980
- Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) in 1991
- Eyjafjallajokul l (Iceland) in 2010
Words to know
- Active volcano – a volcano that erupts regularly
- Crater – the bowl-shaped area at the top of a volcano’s vent
- Dormant volcano – a volcano that has not erupted in a very long time, but could again
- Extinct volcano – a volcano that has not erupted in thousands of years, and doesn’t look like it will erupt again
- Magma chamber – the pool of magma located underneath the volcano’s vent
- Supervolcano – a volcano that has an eruption where the amount of stuff that comes out is more than 1,000 cubic kilometres
- Vent – the main part of a volcano where magma and gasses come through from deep inside the Earth
- Volcanologist – a scientist who studies volcanoes
Related Videos
Just for fun...
- Play Volcano Island : decide when you think a volcano is going to erupt and when people should evacuate. Will you make an accurate prediction?
- Try some volcano experiments and activities
- Volcano information posters, factsheets, quizzes, wordsearches and crosswords to download and print
- Download, print and make a volcano model
- Make your own volcano at home
- Try a lava flow experiment
- Print out your own volcano mini book to colour in
- Take a tricky volcanoes quiz
- Try some volcano activity sheets or make your own 3D volcano model with a template
- Can you place volcanoes in the correct place on an interactive map ?
Children's books about volcanoes
See for yourself
- Visit the Natural History Museum in London: their brand-new gallery about volcanoes and earthquakes features an earthquake simulator where you can feel the groud shake underneath your feet, as well as a heat suit worn by volcanologists.
- Watch an animation of a volcano erupting from the safety of your own home!
- Listen to a volcano erupt
- Look through some awe-inspiring volcano pictures
Find out more
- CBBC: volcanoes
- See a detailed diagram of what the inside of a volcano looks like
- Download some volcano diagrams
- Look at a volcano facts infographic
- BBC Bitesize: volcanoes
- Watch a video about the Yellowstone supervolcano , one of our planet's restless giants
- Find out how the shape of a volcano reflects its "personality"
- Find out more about plate tectonics with your very own Plate Tectonics Passport
- Explosive volcano facts from National Geographic Kids
- Animated guide to volcanoes
- Slideshows and interactive guides to all aspects of volcanoes
- Download a factsheet about volcanoes and try an online interactive resource to help you understand plate tectonics
- An interactive map which tracks every recorded volcanic eruption, earthquake and major sulfur dioxide emission since 1960
- See how deadly volcanic eruptions have been in the past with an infographic
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The Great Fire of London was a fire that was so big that it burned nearly all of the buildings in London, with the exception of the Tower of London as that was made from stone, and stone doesn't burn up easily.
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17th August 2019
Volcanoes are holes in the Earth’s crust where extremely hot pieces of rock, gases and other things rise from the Earth’s core. This usually happens in the form of an eruption. Not all eruptions are the same: some eruptions are extremely explosive, like the one in the picture shown below. Others are actually quite calm, where hot lava slowly flows out of the volcano.
An explosive volcano eruption | Wikipedia
How are volcanoes formed?
Volcanoes are usually formed when tectonic plates (large parts of the Earth’s top layer) collide with each other. When they do collide, one plate plunges underneath the other, creating what is called a subduction zone. As the edge of one plate goes down, the temperature and pressure dramatically increases. This releases water from the rocks, which slightly changes the melting point of the rock, creates magma that makes it’s way to the surface.
How many volcanoes are there?
There are 1,500 active volcanoes in the world at the moment. There are many more inactive volcanoes which no longer erupt. When large volcanoes erupt in the middle of the ocean, the extremely hot rock turns into a solid and can create an island.
What damage do they do?
When they erupt, the extremely hot rock can slowly flow towards villages or towns, destroying everything in their path. The gas released from volcanoes can cause problems at airports near the eruption, where flights are cancelled due to the gases produced.
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Magma is liquid rock inside a volcano. Lava is liquid rock (magma) that flows out of a volcano. Fresh lava ranges from 1,300° to 2,200° F (700° to 1,200° C) in temperature and glows red hot to white hot as it flows. How many volcanoes are there in the world? There are around 1,510 active volcanoes in the world.
Top 10 facts. Volcanoes are big holes that let out hot gasses, ash and magma from deep inside the Earth.; Many volcanoes are mountains, made up of layers of lava and ash.; Many volcanoes have several vents - a main one, and secondary ones that branch off the main vent. The volcano's main vent goes all the way down to the layer of magma in between the Earth's crust and mantle.
A volcano is an opening in Earth 's crust. When a volcano erupts, hot gases and melted rock from deep within Earth find their way up to the surface. This material may flow slowly out of a fissure, or crack, in the ground, or it may explode suddenly into the air. Volcanic eruptions may be very destructive. But they also create new landforms. ...
A volcano is a vent, or opening, in Earth's surface through which molten rock, gases, and ash erupt. The word also refers to the form or structure, usually conical, produced by accumulations of erupted material. In some volcanic eruptions, the molten rock—called magma when it is underground and lava when it reaches the surface—flows ...
Volcanoes are holes in the Earth's crust where extremely hot pieces of rock, gases and other things rise from the Earth's core. This is called an eruption. ... Homework Help For Kids. Homework Help For Kids is a website that provides information to help you with your piles of homework. We've been doing this since 2013, with this website and ...
Answers. Composite, cinder and shield are the three different types of volcano. 50-70 volcanoes are estimated to erupt every year. Krakatoa erupted in 1883 and made the loudest sound ever recorded. There are roughly 1500 active volcanoes around the world. The tallest volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
A volcano forms when two tectonic plates move apart to form a split in the earth's crust. As the plates move apart they allow the magma to come up to the earth's crust creating eruptions. Volcanoes also appear where two tectonic plates come together. One of the plates is forced down and as it does it melts forming magma that rises through ...
Volcanoes are an opening on the earth's surface where warm materials from inside the earth 'erupt' onto the surface. This material includes liquid rock (magma when it's underground, lava when it's on the surface), ash, cinders and gas. Volcanoes usually form mountains from the layers of ash and other debris that collect around them.
We include all the best bits in an easy to read (and remember) way so that you can be in the know about volcanoes! As well as help with your homework, these guides contain lots of exciting activities that you can try at home and plenty of fun facts that you can impress your family and friends with. Phonics Schemes of Work. PE Planning.
Tectonic Settings for Volcanoes. Teacher 20 terms. hlannon001. Preview. Deformation and moutnain building. 11 terms. Andrew-Yung. Preview. Study with Quizlet and memorize flashcards containing terms like Which of the following can help make rocks melt beneath Earth's surface?, Rank the following plate tectonic boundaries from most explosive ...
Introduction. An eruption of a volcano is an awesome display of the Earth 's power. Yet while eruptions are spectacular to watch, they can cause disastrous loss of life and property, especially in densely populated regions of the world. In some volcanic eruptions, molten rock called lava flows slowly out of an opening, or vent, in Earth's ...
Flank - The side of a volcano. Lava - Molten rock that erupts from a volcano that solidifies as it cools. Crater - Mouth of a volcano - surrounds a volcanic vent. Conduit - An underground passage magma travels through. Throat - Entrance of a volcano. The part of the conduit that ejects lava and volcanic ash.
Shield Volcano - flat. If the magma is runny, the gas can escape easily and there will not be an explosion. The magma just comes out of the mountain and flows down the sides. Shield volcanoes are shaped like a bowl or shield in the middle with long gentle slopes made by the lava flows. Examples include the volcanoes in Hawaii and Mount Etna.
Here are some exciting Twinkl volcano resources and activities to try at home! For more fun science-themed activities and home experiments, take a look at our Science Homework Help page. Instant access to printable lesson plans, assessments, interactive activities, resource packs, PowerPoints, ebooks and teaching ideas in English and as Gaeilge.
Volcanoes are an opening on the earth's surface where warm materials from inside the earth 'erupt' onto the surface. This material includes liquid rock (magma when it's underground, lava when it's on the surface), ash, cinders and gas. Volcanoes usually form mountains from the layers of ash and other debris that collect around them.
People and Volcanoes. One in 10 people in the world live within 'danger range' of an active volcano. People can get used to living near a volcano, but it is always a little dangerous. Scientists have estimated that at least 200,000 persons have lost their lives as a result of volcanic eruptions during the last 500 years.
Here are some exciting Twinkl volcano resources and activities to try at home! Volcanoes Interactive Word Search. World's Most Dangerous Volcanoes PowerPoint. Volcano Cross Section Paper Model. Make Your Own Volcano Science Activity. Volcano Fact Sheets. For more fun science-themed activities and home experiments, take a look at our Science ...
1 min. Updated: 26th January 2023. There are three main reasons why a volcano might erupt: Giant pieces of the Earth's crust called tectonic plates are moving all the time. Sometimes as two tectonic plates move away from each other, magma can rise up through the gap between them. Sometimes eruptions can be caused by tectonic plates moving ...
The main volcano parts include: Ash Cloud - A cloud of ash formed by volcanic explosions: When a volcano erupts, it spews ash high into the air. The ash can create dangerous ash clouds that can drift for miles. These clouds can also contain tiny particles of glass that cause serious damage to eyes and lungs. Ash Clouds are large clouds of gas ...
Volcano Vocabulary. A volcano that is erupting or has erupted within historical time and is considered likely to do so in the future. Fine particles of rock dust blown from an explosion vent. Volcanic ash that has fallen through the air from an eruption cloud. A vent is an opening at the Earth's surface of a volcanic conduit.
Perhaps one of the most famous volcanoes of all time is Mount Vesuvius. It's situated on the west coast of Italy and overshadows the bustling city of Naples. Its last eruption was in 1944, although it famously erupted in AD 79, destroying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Krakatoa. This volcano on Indonesia's Rakata Island ...
earthquake and volcano distribution. volcanic activity and tectonic plates. This image also in: Students convection; Students plate tectonics; volcanic landforms. Mayon volcano. Kilauea. This image also in: Students Kilauea; volcanic eruption. 1:50. magma and the rock cycle. This video also in: Students volcanoes at a glance; 0:29.