How Do Volcanoes Erupt by Amiin Mahamed

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How Do Volcanoes Erupt

Published on Apr 06, 2016

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Deep within the Earth it is so hot that some rocks slowly melt and become a thick flowing substance called magma. Because it is lighter than the solid rock around it, magma rises and collects in magma chambers.
How explosive an eruption is depends on how runny or sticky the magma is.
They can blast out clouds of hot tephra from the side or top of a volcano.
A volcanic eruption occurs! Magma that has erupted is called lava.
When Mount St. Helens in the State of Washington erupted in 1980, it had not erupted for 123 years. Most people thought Mount St. Helens was a beautiful, peaceful mountain and not a dangerous volcano.

When hot volcanic materials mix with water from streams or melted snow and ice, mudflows form.
a vent or opening in the surface of the Earth through which lava, hot gases, ash and rock fragments erupt OR
The erupted materials gradually pile up around the vent, forming a volcano.
Volcanic eruptions are spectacular sights ... chunks of hot rock, red-hot ash and cinders shoot out and huge fiery clouds rise over the mountain.
A bowl-like crater generally forms at the top of the volcano. The vent lies at the bottom of the crater.

the usually conical mountain formed by the deposition and accumulation of erupted material around the opening.
Because it is lighter than the solid rock around it, magma rises and collects in magma chambers.
They can blast out clouds of hot tephra from the side or top of a volcano. These fiery clouds race down.
Explosive volcanic eruptions can be dangerous and deadly.
Some volcanic eruptions are explosive and other are not.

Photo by gnuckx

Lava flows rarely kill people because they move slowly enough for people to get out of their way.
Pressure builds up until the gases escape violently and explode.
Ash erupted into the sky falls back to Earth like powdery snow, but snow that won't melt.
Mudflows have buried entire communities located near erupting volcanoes.
They can blast out clouds of hot tephra from the side or top of a volcano.

Photo by Karlbert

A volcano begins as melted rock (magma) which rises from deep inside the earth toward the surface.
Some eruptions occur on volcanic islands.
As the gas-filled magma rises, it melts gaps in the surrounding rock and forms a large chamber.
The erupted materials gradually pile up around the vent, forming a volcano.
the usually conical mountain formed by the deposition and accumulation of erupted material around the opening.