Terrific heat, chocking ash, and stream of molten lava all occur when a volcano erupts.

Have you watched the movie Dante’s Peak? Imagine what they went through.

An opening in Earth’s crust that can release materials such as lava, smoke, and ash; volcanoes can either be active or dormant

Summit Cone of Sangay, Dormant Volcano, Ecuador

Arenal Volcano (Active) in Costa Rica

Vents- openings of volcanoes

Volcanoes are dormant when they are not active. Scientist try to figure out when they will erupt to prevent damage and death.

Mauna Kea, in Maui

Most active volcano on Earth is Kilauea in Hawaii. Has been continuously erupting since 1983.

Volcanoes can also be created when rock surfaces beneath the Earth’s crust push against one another.

The part pushed downwards is heated up, it melts and becomes magma. When there is so much magma it is forced upwards through openings.

Mount St. Helens, in Washington.

In 1980, scientists knew it was going to erupt because the side of the volcano bulged outwards. The eruption actually blew up the side of the mountain.

Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy.

It has been dormant since 1944. But it is expected to blow and when it does it will be very dangerous because the opening has a rock plug that will require a lot of pressure to force it out.

The volcanoes around the pacific ocean make up the “Ring of Fire”.

Comes from a circle of volcanoes that pour out red hot lava, fire and steam- Goes from New Zealand to Asia, then down the west coast of North America and South America.

Mount Pinatubo is part of the Ring of Fire.

In 1991 in the Philippians, Mount Pinatubo’s ash formed a layer within the Earth’s atmosphere that circled the globe and cooled temperatures around the world.

There are volcanoes on our moon and on Mars that are extinct. On Jupiter’s moons they are still active.

Volcano on Venus.

Volcano on Jupiter’s moon

The largest volcano found in the solar system is Olympus Mons on Mars. 600km across and 25km tall.