Volcano: Interesting facts and things about Volcanoes”

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There are approximately 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth, with 50-70 eruptions per year.

Most volcanoes of the world are in the Ring of Fire.  Mount St. Helens, Mount Fuji and Mount Pinatubo are among the most famous volcanoes in the Ring of Fire.

What is Ring of Fire?

"Ring of Fire" contains 75% of the world's active volcanoes and is the epicentre of about 90% of earthquakes.

"Ring of Fire" is a 25,000-mile (nearly 40,250 kilometres) region, which formed about 115 million years ago.  

"Ring of Fire" region was formed by oceanic plates, sliding beneath continental plates in a process called subduction. 

Contrary to its name, this chain of volcanoes (and earthquakes) along the Pacific Ocean's edge is actually shaped like a horseshoe. 

"Ring of Fire" runs through a total of 15 countries, from the tip of South America to the West Coast of North America, via Russia, Japan, and New Zealand.

Volcanoes are dangerous and deadly.  Volcanoes have been responsible for over 250,000 deaths since the late 1700s.

By far the most lethal volcanic effects are pyroclastic flows, which are a rapidly moving mass of lava, ash, and gases. 

The town of Saint-Pierre was destroyed by a pyroclastic flow in 1902 as Mount Pelée erupted, killing nearly 30,000 people.

Volcanoes and other natural disasters are connected to each other. One example is volcanic earthquakes.  These earthquakes, also called volcanic tremors, are signs of magma activity. 

We can use this information as a warning system since it may be an eruption's precursor.  People who live in dangerous proximity to the volcano can leave the area if these earthquakes occur.

Lahars are volcanic mudslides that are a mass of flowing debris and water. It looks like wet concrete running down the slope of a volcano, and it often flows into river valleys. Whole towns have been buried by them.

Tsunamis have also been caused by volcanoes.  The worst was a tsunami caused by Krakatoa's eruption in 1883, that killed 36,000 people with waves reaching 130 feet.

80% of the Earth's surface, both above and below sea level, is the result of volcanic activity.  Volcanic emissions played an important role in the formation of the first oceans and our atmosphere.

Although eruptions are more likely in the Ring of Fire, other active hotspots also exist.  Hawaii is one of them. Hawaii was formed by volcanoes. 

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Hawaii has 137 islands, which formed tens of millions of years ago as a result of underwater volcanic eruptions.  As the lava cooled, it solidified, forming islands.  The Hawaiian Islands are still being shaped today by the Pacific Plate shifting. Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, is located in Hawaii.

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Some Other Interesting Facts about Volcanoes

Magma and Lava are not the same things. Although the terms lava and magma are frequently used interchangeably, Lava and magma are not the same things. Magma and lava are distinct things.

What is Magma? Magma is the molten liquid rock that exists under the Earth’s surface, and it contains dissolved gasses. An explosion occurs at the mouth of a volcano when the pressure reaches a certain point and these gases expand.

What is Lava? When magma reaches the surface and is ejected from the volcano, it transforms into lava. Although there are three kinds of lava  - andesitic, basaltic, and rhyolitic - all of them contain silica. 

What is Lava? The viscosity of the lava depends on the amount of silica. The more silica there is, the slower the lava moves. 

When Nyiragongo erupted in the Congo in 1977, the lava travelled at a speed of 40 miles per hour, making it the fastest lava ever recorded.

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While dangerous and even deadly, volcanoes can have also beneficial effects - such as the formation of fertile soil for agriculture, the formation of new land, and the generation of geothermal energy.

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