Volcanoes Facts for Kids
Explosive facts about volcanoes and geology
Some volcanoes in Iceland and Antarctica are hidden entirely beneath thick sheets of ice. When they erupt, the heat melts the ice from below, causing sudden catastrophic floods called jΓΆkulhlaups that can release more water than the Amazon River.
Hot springs near volcanoes are often rich in minerals like silica, calcium, and iron. Animals, plants, and even unique microbes gather at these springs, and in some countries like Japan, people have bathed in volcanic hot springs for health benefits for thousands of years.
Mount Agung on the Indonesian island of Bali is considered the most sacred mountain in Balinese Hinduism. The local people believe it is the home of the gods, and all temples on Bali are oriented toward its peak.
In 1986, Lake Nyos in Cameroon β a crater lake sitting on a volcano β suddenly exploded with a massive release of CO2 gas. The invisible cloud suffocated about 1,800 people and thousands of livestock as they slept in nearby villages.
Mount Merapi on the island of Java, Indonesia, is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world. It has erupted regularly since 1548, and over 1 million people live in its danger zone β more than almost any other volcano on Earth.
Pumice stone, formed from frothy volcanic lava, has been used for centuries to smooth rough skin. Today it is still a common ingredient in some toothpastes, exfoliating scrubs, and even denim processing to give jeans a worn look.
Mount Shasta in northern California is one of the most potentially dangerous volcanoes in the United States. Scientists believe it erupts on average every 600 to 800 years, and its last eruption was around 1786.
Many volcanic eruptions produce hydrogen sulfide gas, which smells exactly like rotten eggs. Visitors to active volcanic areas often notice this unpleasant smell from vents and hot springs long before they can see any lava.
The ancient Roman harbor city of Pozzuoli was built on a volcanic field called the Campi Flegrei. The ground there rises and sinks by several feet over decades as magma moves underground β a phenomenon scientists now call 'bradyseism' or slow earthquakes.
When thick sheets of basalt lava cool very slowly and evenly, they can crack into remarkably regular hexagonal columns. Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland and Devils Postpile in California are famous examples of these geometric volcanic formations.