Facts About Volcanoes

Are you curious to learn some weird and wonderful facts about Volcanoes?

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It’s time to chat about Volcanoes facts.

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1 – Volcanoes are formed from the natural release of pressure that builds up when molten rock, ash, and gas escape.

2 – The most powerful volcano eruption in recorded history was Mt. Tambora’s 1815 eruption which killed 92 people and caused global temperatures to drop by 1 degree Celsius for a year.

3 – The most famous active volcano in the world is Mount Etna, which has been erupting for over 2,000 years and will continue to do so!

4 – There is no such thing as an “extinct” volcano – there are always some active volcanoes on Earth.

5 – A volcanic eruption can produce many different types of hazards including lava flows, pyroclastic density currents (fast-moving clouds of hot gas), lahars (mudflows) and ash fall.

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6 – Most eruptions occur at high elevations where snow or ice cover slows down the melting process.

7 – The word “volcano” comes from Vulcano Island near Naples Italy where it was first used to describe this type of formation. Others say the word “volcano” comes from Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.

8 – Volcanoes can be classified into three categories according to their shape; stratovolcanoes have steep sides like Mt Fuji in Japan while shield volcanoes have gently sloping sides like Mauna Kea in Hawaii.

9 – Volcanoes are found on every continent. Volcanoes are formed when hot molten rock (magma) is forced up through the ground.

10 – The first written record of a volcano eruption is from the Roman historian, Pliny the Younger.

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11 – Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 and caused the destruction of Pompeii.

12 – The most active volcano today is Popocatépetl located near Mexico City with over 100 eruptions since 1519.

13 – There have been 1-3 eruptions per year for the past ten years at Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island.

14 – Volcanoes are formed when molten rock from the earth’s mantle rises to the surface and explodes.

15 – Iceland has many volcanoes because it sits on a hotspot called the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

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16 – The Laki eruption in 1783 killed 25% of Iceland’s population due to food shortages caused by acid rain.

17 – When a lava flow hits water like an ocean or lake, it creates what we call lahars – these can be deadly because they travel fast and bury anything in their path under tons of mud and rocks.

18 – Volcanoes are formed when hot molten rock, called magma, rises up from deep in the Earth’s crust. Magma is made of gas and liquid that contains dissolved minerals.

19 – The Hawaiian word for “volcano” is “wao-kapua,” which means “fire mountain” or “mountain with fire coming out of it.”

20 – Mount Vesuvius near Naples has been active since before 79 AD and destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD killing more than 16 thousand people.

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21 – Some people believe that volcanic eruptions help prevent earthquakes by relieving pressure on fault lines below ground.

22 – Scientists measure how active an eruption has been by using what they call the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI) which rates an eruption on a scale from 0-8 with 8 being most explosive.

23 – There are different types of volcanoes depending on what type of material they’re made out of – these include shield cones, composite cones, stratovolcanoes and calderas.

24 – Lava flows typically reach temperatures between 800°F and 1200°F (426°C).

25 – Volcano eruptions can be triggered by earthquakes or landslides as well as changes in pressure from ice buildup underground. A volcanic eruption is often preceded by earthquakes or tremors at the volcano site.

One of the most destructive eruptions occurred on May 18th 1980 in Mount St Helens when 57 people were killed and 230 homes destroyed.

Facts About Volcanoes – 25 Fun Volcanoes Facts To WOW You!