Take a journey beneath Earth's crust and discover the hidden forces that create a volcanic eruption. Explore the magma chamber, understand pressure, and trigger a simulation.
Click on different parts of the volcano cross-section to discover what they are and how they function.
Molten rock stored deep beneath the Earth's surface.
Molten rock that has erupted above the Earth's surface.
Drag the slider to travel deep underground.
Extreme heat and pressure prepare the magma for eruption.
Molten rock forms deep beneath Earth's surface due to extreme heat and friction from tectonic plates.
Click to learn about materials expelled by a volcano.
Molten rock flowing on the Earth's surface. It can be incredibly hot, reaching over 1,000°C, and moves relatively slowly.
Tiny, sharp fragments of rock, minerals, and volcanic glass. It is harsh, abrasive, and can block out sunlight.
Gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide that were dissolved in magma and released during eruption.
A fast-moving, incredibly hot mixture of gas and volcanic rock fragments that sweeps down the sides of a volcano.
Most volcanoes are located near the edges of Earth's tectonic plates. When these massive puzzle pieces move, they create conditions for magma to form.
As an oceanic plate is pushed underneath a continental plate (subduction), it gets hotter. Water is released, which lowers the melting point of the mantle rock above it. This creates magma, which is lighter than solid rock and rises to form volcanoes!
You've mastered the science of volcanoes.