volcanoesBy Tara

What is a volcano?A volcano is a landform where molten rock

erupts through the surface of the planet.

The name volcano comes from the name of VULCAN, a god of fire in Roman mythology.

Lava and Magma

Magma is liquid rock inside a volcano.

Lava is liquid rock that flows out of the volcano.

How many volcanoes are there?There are 1510 active volcanoes in the world. There are 80 or more volcanoes underneath the oceans on Earth.

Did you know?Volcanoes are like giant safety valves that release the pressure that builds up inside the Earth.

Famous VolcanoesMt Vesuvius – Italy

Mt St. Helens – United States of America

How

does a

Volca

no

work?

Volcanoes on other planets

Mars There are many volcanoes

on Mars.

These volcanoes are extinct and do not erupt anymore.

Jupiter Jupiter’s moon is the most

volcanically active object in the solar system. It erupts all the time.

It’s lavas are the hottest known in the solar system. They get to 1,500°C.

Iceland Iceland is half the size of Victoria.

It has 30 active volcanic systems.

In 1783 a volcano (Skaftareldar) erupted for a whole year. The volcano killed one quarter of the people living in Iceland at the time.

The endI hope you enjoyed it.