I Wonder Why – Why Volcanoes Erupt?

Why do volcanoes erupt?

● A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the

The surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur. Gases and rock

shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments.

● An erupting volcano can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudflows

and rockfalls.

● The Earth’s crust is made up of huge slabs called plates, which fit together like a

jigsaw puzzle. These plates sometimes move. The friction causes earthquakes

and volcanic eruptions near the edges of the plates. The theory that explains this

The process is called plate tectonics.

● There are more than 1500 active volcanoes on the Earth. We currently know of

80 or more which are under the oceans.