Xtreme Science

Xtreme Science

All about volcanoes

DC | 10/23/2017

Did you know that many volcanologists can step onto lava with their special boots? Walking on lava is like walking on ice, but if one slips they will be scorched! This is what volcanologist use and do. Wow your friends with all sorts of facts all about volcanoes you learn with this volume of Xtreme Science!

Scientist who study volcanoes or volcanology are called volcanologist. Volcanologists study volcanoes to try and figure out when the volcanoes will erupt. You might wonder, how they study a volcano. They do it with special suits that protect them from the intense heat. Many volcanologists can even step onto lava with their special boots. It is like they are on ice, but if one slips they will be scorched! It is a lucky day when volcanologists do not enter an erupting volcano.      

Now, what is on inside of a volcano? Pipes called vents connect to a chamber which is deep inside the earth. The magma in the chamber can be as hot as 2,192° F. The inside of a volcano ranges from 9,032°F-12,632°F.

           

 Did you know that some volcanoes are underwater? These volcanoes can even form an island! What happens is lava spews out of a weak spot in the earth. Over the years from all of the eruptions the volcano grows and grows and grows until it breaks the surface of the water.

            

There are many different kinds of volcanoes. A few of these include Fissure, Dome, Shield, Ash Cinder, Composite, and Caldera. Fissure Volcanoes are nearly flat. They form when a crack in the earth’s crust, which can measure miles long, explodes and magma goes down the side creating a very slight slope. Dome Volcanoes have a single vent. They have thick and fast cooling lava and the sides are very steep. Shield Volcanoes form in Hawaii. Their lava is runny and the shape of the volcano is like a shield. When Ash Cinder Volcanoes erupt, cinders fall onto the sides with the heavy cinders first and the light ones following. After many eruptions, steep sides form. A Composite Volcano is formed from layers of ash as well as lava and it is like an Ash Cinder volcano. When the top of a Caldera Volcano collapses into the chamber, it makes a crater, also called a caldera. Sometimes water gets into the caldera and forms a lake.

Now that volcanoes are more understandable put this knowledge to the test? Your wide knowledge of what is inside volcanoes, what volcanologists do, and types of volcanoes it will be easy to even stump any adult with your volcano know-how. Go and try now!

Bibliography

Books:

Author	Title	City of publication	Publisher	Date
Simon Adams	The best book of volcanoes	577 Broadway, New York, NY,	Scholastic Ink.	2001

Author	Title of article	Magazine title	Volume	Date	Page
UnKnown	What is a volcano?	Almanac 2018	UnKnown	2017	174
Unknown	Volcano!	Almanac 2017	Unknown	2016	192-193

Author	Title of article	Title of reference book	Volume	Pages
Unkown	volcano	New standard encyclopedia	16	V-134-137