Volcano fact file

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The Tungurahua volcano erupts in the night. Tungurahua, also called the Black Giant, is one of Ecuador's most active volcanoes. Volcanoes are Earth's geologic architects. They've created more than 80 percent of our planet's surface, laying the foundation that has allowed life to thrive. Their explosive force crafts mountains as well as craters. Lava rivers spread into bleak landscapes.

Volcano fact file

Volcanic eruptions can cause immense destruction and devastation, yet at the same time, they are essential for the long-term health of our planet. Volcanoes occur when molten rock magma erupts from within the Earth, sometimes explosively and sometimes more gently. They can spew out lava, rocks, ash, and other materials, and some even produce stunningly beautiful lava fountains and glowing hot clouds. On land, volcanoes are often found along the edges of tectonic plates, and beneath the ocean, they form underwater mountain ranges. An active volcano is one that has erupted within the last 10, years or it has some type of activity going on. Click here for Top 10 Facts About Rocks! Find out how to make your own volcano here! From sea level it is 4, metres high. However, under the sea it also goes down another 5, metres. The plates always move very slowly but when the plates move suddenly they often cause an earthquake. Is there something we've missed? Got a fact you're dying to tell us? Submit it below and we could use it on a future Top 10 Facts page! To record a message tap the big red button below.

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You can do many things to protect yourself and your family from the dangers a volcanic eruption can cause. The best way to protect yourself and your family is to follow the advice of local officials. Volcanoes spew hot, dangerous gases, ash, lava, and rock that are powerfully destructive. People have died from volcanic blasts. Volcanic eruptions can result in additional threats to health, such as floods, mudslides, power outages, drinking water contamination, and wildfires. Health concerns after a volcanic eruption include infectious disease, respiratory illness, burns, injuries from falls, and vehicle accidents related to the slippery, hazy conditions caused by ash.

Over millions of years, volcanic eruptions have not only built the Hawaiian archipelago, they continually transform its landscape. Without volcanoes, there would be no Hawaii. The eight primary islands that make up this archipelago owe their existence to a roiling spot of magma deep under the ocean floor known as the Hawaii hotspot. The hotspot is thought to lurk for now below the archipelago's youngest and most active landmass, the Big Island of Hawaii. While the hotspot itself remains largely stationary, the overriding Pacific plate does not; it creeps northwest at a rate of three to four inches each year. Because of this, the volcanic activity on the planet's surface also shifts. That movement formed the series of islands, which are progressively older as you go westward.

Volcano fact file

In in Washington, after years of hibernation, Mount St. Helens erupted. The blast destroyed and scorched square miles square kilometers of forest within minutes.

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Volcanoes spew hot, dangerous gases, ash, lava, and rock that are powerfully destructive. Environment How to prepare our homes for extreme weather. The blast was one of the most powerful ever documented and created a caldera —essentially a crater—4 miles across and more than 3, feet deep. But as time ticks by, the elements break down these volcanic rocks, liberating nutrients from their stony prisons and creating remarkably fertile soils that have allowed civilizations to flourish. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. Another way volcanoes can form is what's known as hotspot volcanism. Maleo birds bury their eggs in the sand or soil near volcanoes to keep them warm. He was the Roman god of fire! Lava rivers spread into bleak landscapes. Travel Where to find Cape Town's most exciting food spots. This region is where the edges of the Pacific and Nazca plates butt up against an array of other tectonic plates. It's not only dangerous to inhale , it's heavy and builds up quickly.

A list of the world's most famous volcanoes and volcanic eruptions, with locations, pictures and facts. Most volcanoes appear along the sides of the huge plates known as tectonic plates that make up the surface of the world — either where the plates are moving apart, or where they are moving together and one plate is forced under another. During a volcanic eruption, molten rock, ash and toxic gases are expelled from a magma chamber under the ground, often with great force.

Natural Disasters and Severe Weather. Got a fact you're dying to tell us? People have died from volcanic blasts. Share Tweet Email. Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. How did people survive? Major health threats from a volcanic eruption. As monitoring capacity for—and interest in—volcanic eruptions increases, coverage of the activity more frequently appears in the news and on social media. This region is where the edges of the Pacific and Nazca plates butt up against an array of other tectonic plates. It's not only dangerous to inhale , it's heavy and builds up quickly.