What a volcano is.

A volcano is a big hole in the earth that has really hot stuff in it called lava. Lava are melted rocks that are REALLY hot!

What can come out of a volcano.

One thing that can come out of a volcano is lava, but we already talked about lava so lets talk about a different type of lava. Magma is what lava is before it comes out of the volcano, when its deep in the earth. Particles of something called volcanic ash comes out of magma. Volcanic ash has pieces of different rocks from the magma.

A picture of magma

A picture of volcanic ash.

What is a magma chamber?

Remember when I told you how magma comes from deep in the earth before it becomes lava? 

Magma chambers are a place deep in the earth, under a volcano that is kind of like a pocket for the magma to stay in until the volcano erupts.

Types of volcanoes.

Theres not just one type of volcano, there are multiple like the shield volcano. Its called the shield volcano because it looks like a shield for a warrior. Its different not because of the way it looks, but because the way the lava comes out is like a fountain instead of it exploding like regular.

How scientists detect volcanoes.

Have you ever wondered how scientists magically know where volcanoes are and where they'll erupt? Its because of this thing called a seismogram, with a seismogram the scientists can track every movement of the volcano, easily telling when its gonna erupt.

Why do volcanoes erupt?

Why do volcanoes do what they do? It all has to do with magma chambers. The rock melts and turns into magma that goes into the magma chamber, then the magma from that magma chamber rises up and causes an eruption.