The most powerful force in nature is volcanic activity, sometimes even more powerful than the largest nuclear explosion! Our drinking water and the air that we breathe comes from the ashes and gases from volcanic eruptions long ago. Volcanoes form because the earth is very hot inside and it is trying to cool off. One way to cool off is to take heat from the inside and bring it to the surface. This is exactly what the hot rock inside does. This hot rock is called magma, and it rises toward the surface until it explodes out. The lava erupts at temperatures of about 1,200 degrees celcius! Some volcanoes might only erupt for a few days to weeks and then never erupt again. Large volcanoes, such as the shield volcanoes, erupt many times. Learn more about volcanoes!
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Questions? Contact Ms. Joanna
Dahl at dahlj@uwec.edu
Page last updated
11/07/2003