2. Introduction
Volcanoes are one of the most dangerous things on the
planet. They spray out lava and blast out ash, but more
than 8000 people live by and on volcanoes.
3. What is a Volcano?
A volcano is a pipe into the mantle. Magma or melted
rock is forced up through a crack or fissure in the
Earth’s crust. The lava then cools and as it builds up it
becomes a volcano.
4. Mauna Loa
Mauna Loa is the biggest volcano in the world and is
found in Hawaii. It has been erupting constantly since
1984. Mauna Loa can be viewed in action because of
several viewing platforms built around it.
5. The Ring of Fire
The Ring of fire is a ring of volcanoes around the Pacific
Ocean. Roughly 70% of all the active volcanoes in the
planet are in the Ring of fire.
6. Why do People live on
Volcanoes?
Many people live by and on volcanoes, such as the
Hawaiian islands. This is because of the nutritious soil
which is healthy for crops. But living by or on a volcano
is a very risky as the people of Pompeii discovered.
The Hawaiian islands.
7. The Layers of the Earth
The Earth has 4 layers: the crust, the mantle, the outer
core and the inner core. The crust is the thinnest and
most brittle layer. The mantle is the thickest layer. The
outer core is an area of liquid iron. The inner core is
solid iron and nickel 10x hotter then the sun.
8. The Tectonic plates
The tectonic plates are sections of the Earth that are
constantly moving. These plates are floating between
the crust and magma. When the tectonic plates collide
they create an earthquake.
