Skip to main content

Ready, Set, Erupt!

JIM SUGAR—CORBIS DOCUMENTARY RF/GETTY IMAGES

A volcano is a mountain. It has a hole at the top. Some volcanoes have hot melted rock inside. Learn more about volcanoes below.

Volcanoes can erupt erupt PETER CADE—GETTY IMAGES to burst out; to explode (verb) The audience erupts with laughter. .

ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

Ash ash PAUL SOUDERS—GETTY IMAGES the soft powder that remains after something has burned (noun) The volcano pushed clouds of ash into the air. and lava lava WESTEND61—GETTY IMAGES hot semiliquid rock that flows from a volcano (noun) Lava burst out of the mountain. shoot out of a volcano. Lava is hot. It flows down the volcano.

Volcanoes can be quiet.

ISTOCK PHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

Not all volcanoes are active. Some are dormant. This means that they have not erupted in a long time.

People study volcanoes.

THE IMAGE BANK UNRELEASED/GETTY IMAGES

Volcanologists are scientists. They study volcanoes. They check to see if volcanoes are active active JOHANN K JOHANNSSON—GETTY IMAGES capable of producing action or movement; likely to erupt (adjective) Most of the island's volcanoes are active. . They warn people if one will erupt soon. This saves lives.

Volcanoes can form land.

SKY NOIR PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL DICKINSON/MOMENT RF/GETTY IMAGES

Lava cools into rock. This forms new land. Hawaii was formed by volcanoes. Diamond Head volcano is in Hawaii. It is not active.

Did You Know?

ILLUSTRATION BY STEPHEN BLUE FOR TIME FOR KIDS

Magma is hot liquid rock. It is deep inside the volcanic mountain. When it erupts out of the mountain, it is known as lava.