Volcano fact file

The Tungurahua volcano erupts in the night.

Volcanic eruptions can cause immense destruction and devastation, yet at the same time, they are essential for the long-term health of our planet. Volcanoes occur when molten rock magma erupts from within the Earth, sometimes explosively and sometimes more gently. They can spew out lava, rocks, ash, and other materials, and some even produce stunningly beautiful lava fountains and glowing hot clouds. On land, volcanoes are often found along the edges of tectonic plates, and beneath the ocean, they form underwater mountain ranges. An active volcano is one that has erupted within the last 10, years or it has some type of activity going on.

Volcano fact file

You can do many things to protect yourself and your family from the dangers a volcanic eruption can cause. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to follow the advice of local officials. Volcanoes spew hot, dangerous gases, ash, lava, and rock that are powerfully destructive. People have died from volcanic blasts. Volcanic eruptions can result in additional threats to health, such as floods, mudslides, power outages, drinking water contamination, and wildfires. Health concerns after a volcanic eruption include infectious disease, respiratory illness, burns, injuries from falls, and vehicle accidents related to the slippery, hazy conditions caused by ash. When warnings are heeded, the chances of adverse health effects from a volcanic eruption are very low. Exposure to ash can be harmful. Infants, elderly people, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and other chronic lung diseases may have problems if they breathe in volcanic ash. Ash is gritty, abrasive, sometimes corrosive, and always unpleasant. Small ash particles can abrade scratch the front of the eye. Ash particles may contain crystalline silica, a material that causes a respiratory disease called silicosis.

Make sure that your Mum, Dad or a Guardian looks at it first. Magma is the name given to hot liquid rock inside a volcano.

Is it just us or is it getting hot in here, gang? Prepare to delve into the depths of the earth and uncover these seriously hot volcano facts — if you dare! He was the Roman god of fire! Ask your parents to check out Nat Geo Kids magazine! Ever heard of mantle plumes?

Over millions of years, volcanic eruptions have not only built the Hawaiian archipelago, they continually transform its landscape. Without volcanoes, there would be no Hawaii. The eight primary islands that make up this archipelago owe their existence to a roiling spot of magma deep under the ocean floor known as the Hawaii hotspot. The hotspot is thought to lurk for now below the archipelago's youngest and most active landmass, the Big Island of Hawaii. While the hotspot itself remains largely stationary, the overriding Pacific plate does not; it creeps northwest at a rate of three to four inches each year. Because of this, the volcanic activity on the planet's surface also shifts. That movement formed the series of islands, which are progressively older as you go westward.

Volcano fact file

In in Washington, after years of hibernation, Mount St. Helens erupted. The blast destroyed and scorched square miles square kilometers of forest within minutes. The eruption released an avalanche of hot ash, gas, steam, and rocks that mowed down giant trees up to 15 miles 24 kilometers away. Volcanoes erupt in different ways. Some, like Mount St. Helens, explode.

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Travel 5 dishes everyone should try in Boston. Environment What's that lurking in the mist? Amounts of these gases vary widely from one volcanic eruption to the next. This mechanism is thought to be behind the Hawaii volcanic chain. Find out how to make your own volcano here! Health concerns after a volcanic eruption include infectious disease, respiratory illness, burns, injuries from falls, and vehicle accidents related to the slippery, hazy conditions caused by ash. As the descending landmass sinks deep into the Earth, temperatures and pressures climb, releasing water from the rocks. Environment How to prepare our homes for extreme weather. From sea level it is 4, metres high. Science Why the leap second is going away for good. Animals Why was a grizzly bear hanging out with a wolf pack? Although the hotspot itself is thought to be largely stationary, the tectonic plates continue their slow march, building a line of volcanoes or islands on the surface.

A volcano is an opening in the Earth's crust that allows magma , hot ash and gases to escape. Composite volcanoes are the most common type of volcano. They can have violent eruptions and can grow bigger as layers of thick lava and ash harden on top of each other.

Prepare to delve into the depths of the earth and uncover these seriously hot volcano facts — if you dare! Environment Crawfish shortage hits the heart of Cajun country. Ash is gritty, abrasive, sometimes corrosive, and always unpleasant. Science Mind, Body, Wonder What triggers morning migraines? This mechanism is thought to be behind the Hawaii volcanic chain. Submit it below and we could use it on a future Top 10 Facts page! A superheated plume of hot ash and gas shot 28 miles into the sky, producing numerous pyroclastic flows when it collapsed. CDC is not responsible for Section compliance accessibility on other federal or private website. The blast was one of the most powerful ever documented and created a caldera —essentially a crater—4 miles across and more than 3, feet deep. Lava rivers spread into bleak landscapes. Some 75 percent of the world's active volcanoes are positioned around the ring of fire , a 25,mile long, horseshoe-shaped zone that stretches from the southern tip of South America across the West Coast of North America, through the Bering Sea to Japan, and on to New Zealand. But each volcano is different.