Fun Fact 2: There are three main types of volcanos; composite, shield and cinder cone
Fun Fact 3: Composite volcanos (know as Statovolcanos) are formed by layers of hardened lava and fragments of rock that form a tall conical shaped structure; they are the most common type of volcano. Composite volcanos have in-frequent but powerful eruptions
Fun Fact 4: Shield volcanos are formed on earths hotspots (above the hottest areas of earth's crust). Shield volcanos are larger than composite volcanos, although they are not as tall they erupt every few years and create hot lava flows. The Hawaiian volcanos are typical examples
Fun Fact 5: Cinder cone volcanoes have steep slopes and wide craters at the summit, they can often be found near other types of volcano. A Cinder cone volcano does not produce much lava the eruptions consist of cinders, lava fragments, rock and ash
Fun Fact 6: List of the parts of a Volcano: Magma Chamber, Crater pipe, Main Vent, Crater, Secondary Vent, lava flows, Pyroclastic Flow, Ash Cloud, and Volcanic Bombs
Fun Fact 7: What makes a volcano erupt? As molten rock stored in the magma chamber rises, through the crater pipe pockets of gas form, as the magma travels up the main vent, gasses expand and water becomes steam, creating pressure, when the pressure can no longer be contained the volcano erupts through the crater and secondary side vents. Eruptions can be made up of lava flow, Pyroclastic Flow (hot gas mixed with ash and cinder), lava fragment, rock and ash clouds and Volcanic Bombs (lava that solidifies before it hits the ground)
Fun Fact 8: The molten rock that erupts from a volcano is called Lava. The temperature of Lava can reach up to 12000 degrees!
Fun Fact 9: Volcanic ash can travel through the air for many kilometers, the ash is made up of tiny pieces of rock, glass and cinder. The ash cloud from the eruption of Mount St Helen, Washington, USA on May 18th 1980 travelled a distance of 1500km (932 miles) across America
Fun Fact 10: Volcanos can cause massive devastation. Mud slides, floods and tsunamis caused by Volcanos kill thousands of people, animals and vegetation every year; they destroy the landscape and will bury the surrounding environment in a blanket of molten rock and ash
Fun Fact 11: Lightening storms, floods and tsunamis are often triggered by Volcanic eruptions. The storms can be caused by the abrasion of rock and ash thrashing through the air
Fun Fact 12: How big is the largest volcano in the world? Mauna Loa is the largest volcano in overall volume and area it covers; approximately 18,000 cubic miles (75,000 km3), and measures approximately 13,679 ft (4,169 m) high (It is not the tallest). Mauna Loa is a shield volcano, and active!
Fun Fact 13: Where is the largest volcano in the world? Hawaii is home to the largest volcano in the world. In fact Hawaii is formed of five volcanos and the biggest is called Mauna Loa. The name Mauna Loa means Long Mountain
Fun Fact 14: The term 'active volcanos' are given to those that are currently erupting, or have erupted within the last 10,000 years. There are over 1,500 active volcanos currently on Earth
Fun Fact 15: Active volcanos include: Kilauea in Hawaii, Mount Etna in Italy, Mount Loa in Hawaii, Cotopaxi in South America, Mount St. Helens in North America and Mount Vesuvius in Italy |
