Volcanoes Facts for Kids
Explosive facts about volcanoes and geology
The Toba supervolcano in Sumatra erupted about 74,000 years ago in one of the biggest eruptions in Earth's history. Some scientists believe it may have caused a dramatic drop in human population by triggering a volcanic winter that lasted for years.
Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy, is Europe's tallest and most active volcano, reaching about 3,350 metres above sea level. It has been erupting regularly for at least 500,000 years and is one of the most studied volcanoes in the world.
Countries with lots of volcanic activity can use the heat from inside the Earth to generate clean electricity, called geothermal energy. Iceland gets about 30% of its electricity from geothermal power plants.
When lava flows into the ocean, it creates a hazardous white cloud called 'laze' (lava haze), which contains hydrochloric acid, steam, and tiny glass particles from rapidly cooled lava. Breathing laze can seriously damage the lungs.
Volcanologists use the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) to measure the size of eruptions on a scale from 0 to 8. Each step up the scale represents an eruption ten times more powerful β a VEI 8 supervolcano eruption is the most powerful natural disaster on Earth.
When Mount St Helens in Washington, USA, erupted on 18 May 1980, the entire north face of the mountain collapsed in a massive lateral blast. The eruption flattened forests over an area of about 600 square kilometres in just minutes.
Lava can reach temperatures of between 700Β°C and 1,200Β°C, which is hot enough to melt many metals. Despite its extreme heat, lava moves slowly enough that people can usually walk away from a slow-moving flow safely.
Mayon Volcano in the Philippines is often described as the world's most perfectly shaped volcano because of its symmetrical conical form. Despite being beautiful, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the country and has erupted over 50 times in recorded history.
Diamonds form deep in the Earth's mantle and are brought to the surface by a special type of volcanic eruption called a kimberlite pipe. Without this volcanic process, diamonds would remain buried more than 150 kilometres beneath the surface.
Volcanologists are scientists who study volcanoes, often getting very close to active eruptions to collect samples and measurements. They wear special heat-resistant suits and use drones and robots to safely monitor the most dangerous volcanoes.