Volcano Information

Volcanoes are openings in the ground that hot lava flows through. The lava itself is composed of molten or melted rock and ash. As the volcano erupts, hot gas also pours through the opening. Volcanoes are found both above and below the surface of the ground. When a volcano erupts under water, it can spew forth enough ash and rock to create a small or large island.

Volcanoes are caused by diverging or converging tectonic plates. When the plates come together, they hit with enough force to cause the volcano to emerge. The plates continue to pull against the volcano, which causes the middle portion to soften slightly, and as the plates move, gas builds up and further softens this area. Pressure builds up in the volcano as the plates hit, which can cause the gas to explode in an eruption.

There are a number of different types of volcanoes found around the world. Shield volcanoes are in Iceland and Hawaii, while lava domes describe Mount Saint Helens and Lassen Peak. Cinder cones typically appear as the result of a larger volcano erupting and typically erupt once or never become active. Stratavolcanoes, such as Mt. Fuji and Mount Vesuvius, are created by different layers of ash, lava and cinder fusing together. Other types include supervolcanoes, submarine volcanoes and subglacial volcanoes.

Hosted by Oregon State University, Volcano World is one of the best comprehensive websites devoted to volcanoes. It contains information on current activities, interviews with professionals studying volcanology and information specifically for children. Volcanoes.com offers stories from people who have seen volcanoes erupting, a number of photographs, and information on active and inactive volcanoes.

Interactives is devoted to helping people understand volcanoes and learning how to prepare themselves for an eruption. This is especially helpful for those living near an active site. The USGS takes this a step further by listing updates and alerts on active volcanoes, updating automatically throughout the day.

Pictures of volcanoes are always helpful, because they show what a volcano looks like during an eruption, or while they‘re active. A few good sources for these images are Volcano Photo Gallery, Pictures of Volcanoes and Volcanoes.

There are also some who might be interested in learning how a volcano works and the specifications of this process. How Stuff Works? and How Volcanoes Work? are both good sources of information.

Others are interested in finding out where volcanoes are located and finding active or inactive volcanoes around the world. The best places to look for these lists are NationMaster and List of Volcanoes.

FEMA For Kids has an easy to use website meant to teach children the basic facts they should know about volcanoes. Older children may also like Scholastic, which lists general facts about this natural phenomenon. College students, on the other hand, should check out Volcanoes, an online version of the textbook created by Robert I. Tilling.

A few other good sources of information on volcanoes include MTU Volcanoes Page, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand and Volcanoes Online.