Volcanoes

The word volcano is derived from the name of Vulcano island off Sicily which in turn was named after Vulcan, the Roman God of fire.

What is a Volcano?

A volcano is a vent or 'chimney' that connects molten rock (magma) from within the Earth’s crust to the Earth's surface. The volcano includes the surrounding cone of erupted material.

Parts of a Volcano

VENTS

• Vents are openings where the lava flows.

• In the picture to the left, the vent is the area where lava is erupting from the volcano.

CRATERS• A crater is a bowl shaped indent where the vent is located. • The picture below shows the crater of a dormant volcano.

MAGMA

CHAMBER

• The magma chamber is the place the magma is stored before a volcano erupts

FLANK• A flank is

the side of a volcano.

• Flank can also be used to describe the side of a mountain.

SUMMIT•The summit of a volcano is the highest point of the volcano.

ASH CLOUD• The ash cloud is a cloud that is formed from ash and appears at the top of the volcano.• The ash is created from powdered rock and lava.

LAVA/MAGMA• Lava is magma

that has reached the Earth’s surface.

• Magma is the molten form of rock, stored deep beneath the Earth’s surface.

CONDUIT• A conduit is a pipe that magma travels through to reach the Earth’s surface. • The conduit ends at the opening, which we learned is called a vent.

• A quiet eruption moves slowly because it is low in silica and flows very easily.

• An explosive eruption has magma that is high in silica and does not flow easily. Magma builds up until it explodes out of the vent.

Benefits from Volcanoes

• Volcanic soil is rich in nutrients and very fertile for growing crops. This is a result of the minerals contained within volcanic ash settles on surrounding areas.

• They can form new land masses and islands.• Volcanoes provide geothermal energy which

besides being great for spas and recreation.