Volcanoes

1. Volcanoes Forces That Build and Destroy The Earth By: Meghan

2. Magma + Rock + Lava= A Volcano! Maybe it doesn’t take only magma, rock, and lava to make a volcano. But if you keep on reading you will learn more! Do you know what a volcano is? I’ll tell you if you don’t! A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a river or pool of molten rock. Inside a volcano there is magma, rock, lava, gas, and ash! That doesn’t seem like much but it actually makes a volcano! Eruptions can be very dangerous. Eruptions can cause tsunamis, flash floods, mudflows, rock falls, earthquakes, floods, lateral blasts, lava flows, hot ash, falling ash, mudslides, and avalanches! I told you they are dangerous! Eruptions can also cause a whole forest to collapse! During an eruption gasses and rock shoot up and spill over the air filling it with lava fragments. Well, one thing you learned is to: STAY AWAY FROM VOLCANOES! Magma is very strong. Magma can kill anything in its path. Magma is formed when Earth’s interior gets hot enough to melt rock and metal. Now I am done. Don’t worry I’m just done telling you about what a volcanoes is! So, don’t go yet!

3. I’m too Hot For You! Do you wanna know why I’m too hot for you? If you don’t, I’ll still tell you! It’s because I’m lava. Did you know if magma reaches Earth’s surface it is then lava? Well, if you didn’t you learned now! Some lava flows very slowly, other lava flows very fast. But both ways are both very dangerous. Lava can burn/kill anything in it’s path! In a volcano you might think it only needs a little lava because it probably only needs lava to erupt. But no! Actually, to have a volcano form, it depends on how much lava there is and the thickness of the lava. For the thickness, it usually depends on how much iron is mixed in with the melted rock/molten rock. Volcanoes usually form from how much layers of lava there is. So that means a lot of layers of lava are in a volcano! The thickness of lava depends on how big the volcano will turn out to be. So, lava is a BIG part of a volcano! I think that’s enough about lava. So, turn the page for Explosive Eruption!

4. Explosive Eruption! Explosive?! Volcanoes must be very big! You better watch out then! Do you wanna know why eruptions are explosive? Well, I’ll tell you! Eruptions are explosive because eruptions contain liquid (lava) and solid (rock). Also, eruptions can last for several hours or days! Do you get it now? That’s why eruptions are explosive! But that’s not all, eruptions are also explosive because bombs go off at once! I don’t really mean bombs, I mean lava bombs! Do you believe me now? Well, I hope you do! Eruptions aren’t just explosive, they can be non explosive. That means they aren’t as dangerous as explosive eruptions. During a non explosive eruption, lava leaks and flows downhill and destroys anything. Non explosive eruptions happen when lava’s thin gas flows. See non explosive eruptions aren’t as bad as explosive eruptions!

5. Explosive Eruption! (continued) Now I’ll tell you what happens when a volcano erupts. When a volcano erupts magma and gas build up and erupt violently. That would be an example of an explosive eruption because it erupts violently. Some volcanoes shoot funnels of hot ash and gas. Others throw out basaltic, andesitic cinder, and lava bombs. Those two are also explosive eruptions. Also, some volcanoes lava gently flows into deep cracks. That would be a non explosive eruption because it doesn’t do anything explosive. When a Hawaiian volcano erupts, mild and spew gas spray hot lava. Well that’s all I have about what happens when a volcano erupts. Maybe you are now wondering how a volcano builds a mountain. So, turn the page to find out!

6. A Volcano Can Build A Mountain But It Has No Arms! Volcanoes won’t just destroy the Earth. Like I said they can build mountains. Do you wanna learn how volcanoes can build a mountain? I’ll tell you then! Molten rock erupts and piles up on Earth’s surface creating a mountain. Well, before the molten rock piles up it needs to harden because molten rock is liquid. When a volcano builds a mountain it takes place in regions, above hot spots, and in subduction zones. They are also created over long periods of time. Volcanoes also build a mountain by sprouting from level pain in weeks or days. Another way volcanoes build a mountain is when hot molten rock from deep in Earth’s surface rises to ground level. Two more ways is when lava or molten rock shoot out of a volcano violently forming a steep sided mountain. The last way is when lava can seep forming a mountain with a gentle slope. Well, that’s all I got about how volcanoes build mountains without arms! There is still more! So read on!

7. Constructive? Destructive? Or Both? The answer to my question is both. But why constructive? How would a volcano help the Earth?! Do you wanna know why volcanoes are constructive? I bet you do so I’ll tell you! Volcanoes are constructive because volcanoes are used for chemical uses, important industrial, and windows. Another way it is constructive is because the pumice is used for polishing metal and stone. Also, the geothermal energy in the volcano is used as electricity in different states or countries. One more reason that I know is that water that’s piped from volcanic spring is used to heat homes in some states. See now you know volcanoes won’t just destroy the Earth, they can help us. Now do you wanna know why volcanoes are destructive? I’ll tell you then! Volcanoes are destructive because volcanic ash is very dangerous! Another reason is that when volcanic ash falls on buildings, the buildings collapse. Also, it clogs car engines and makes it difficult to operate vehicles, then. Three more reasons are it crumples bridges, kills people, and trees burn down/fall over. I bet you knew volcanoes can be dangerous, but my details probably supported how dangerous they are! Now, if you just turn the page that will be the final question.

8. Wrap Up I hope you learned enough about volcanoes because I’m tired. So, now you can teach someone else about volcanoes. Well volcanoes can destroy the Earth. You should have known that from the last question. Volcanoes can damage sensitive equitment, and you may never be able to use it again. That is why volcanoes can destroy the Earth. Well volcanoes can also build the Earth. You should have also known that from the last question. Volcanoes can build the Earth because when lava turns into rock, that kind of rock is used to build roads. That is how volcanoes can build the Earth. Thank you for reading! You learned enough, right? Well, I hope you did because that’s all I got! Bye.

9. Glossary Explosive- something that does a lot of damage Interior- hot enough to melt anything in it’s path Lava- hot; melted rock Lava bombs- bombs with lava coming out of them Magma- hot liquid rock; pushes out from volcanoes Molten rock- melted rock Non explosive- something that doesn’t do much damage Subduction zones- two huge plates that lie under the ocean, possibly forming an island