Volcanoes Facts for Kids
Explosive facts about volcanoes and geology
All solid material ejected by a volcano β from giant boulders called volcanic bombs to fine dust particles β is called tephra. A single eruption can hurl tephra dozens of miles into the air.
Japan sits on the Ring of Fire and has about 110 active volcanoes β roughly 10% of the world's total. Living so close to volcanic activity has shaped Japanese culture for thousands of years.
Mount Rainier in Washington State is an active stratovolcano covered by more glacial ice than any other peak in the contiguous United States. If it erupted, the melting ice could produce catastrophic lahars that would threaten communities miles away.
Mount Etna in Sicily actually grows taller with each eruption as new lava and ash layers pile on top. But it also gradually sinks under its own weight, keeping its overall height roughly in balance at about 11,000 feet.
The newest Hawaiian island is currently growing underwater! A seamount called Loihi has been erupting about 22 miles southeast of the Big Island and may rise above the ocean surface in tens of thousands of years.
The ancient Romans mixed volcanic ash called pozzolana with seawater and lime to make an incredibly durable concrete. This volcanic concrete was used to build the Pantheon and has lasted over 2,000 years β outlasting modern concrete.
Geysers like Old Faithful in Yellowstone are driven by volcanic heat deep underground. Rainwater seeps down, gets superheated by magma, then shoots back up through narrow channels. Yellowstone has more geysers than anywhere else on Earth.
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents formed by underwater volcanoes support entire ecosystems of life that use chemical energy instead of sunlight. Giant tube worms, ghostly fish, and unique bacteria thrive in the scalding, toxic water around these vents.
Volcanic ash is extremely dangerous to aircraft because it melts inside jet engines, coating the blades and causing engines to fail. The 2010 eruption of EyjafjallajΓΆkull in Iceland grounded over 100,000 flights across Europe for nearly a week.
Stromboli, a small Italian island volcano, has been erupting almost continuously for at least 2,000 years. Sailors once used its regular blasts of glowing lava as a natural lighthouse, earning it the nickname 'Lighthouse of the Mediterranean.'