The world’s greatest earthquake belt, the circum-Pacific seismic belt, is found along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, where about 81 percent of our planet’s largest earthquakes occur. It has earned the nickname “Ring of Fire”. What countries lie in the circum Pacific? Figure 2: Map showing the Ring ofRead More →
A somma volcano, named for Mount Somma, a ridge on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Italy, is a caldera partially filled by a new central cone. How did Mount Somma form? “The Somma-Vesuvius complex has formed over the last 25,000 years by means of a sequence of eruptions ofRead More →
At a height of 572 feet above sea level, The Law provides a popular, easily accessed vantage point placed high above the centre of Dundee. You can reach the peak easily on foot or by bus or car. What is a law hill in Scotland? Law Hill is a hillRead More →
The world’s smallest active volcano is probably Mount Taal, located near the city of Tagaytay in the Philippines. It is a positively gargantuan 508 meters (1,660 feet) high, more than thirty-nine times the height of Cuexcomate, its Lilliputian cousin. What is the most smallest volcano in the world? Taal VolcanoRead More →
If another large, caldera-forming eruption were to occur at Yellowstone, its effects would be worldwide. Such a giant eruption would have regional effects such as falling ash and short-term (years to decades) changes to global climate. What are three ways that a Yellowstone eruption would affect life? If the supervolcanoRead More →
If a volcano has erupted since the last Ice Age—in the last 10,000 years or so—and is still showing activity like lava and ash flows or gas emissions, it’s considered to be active. … But even a volcano that’s been deemed extinct could erupt again. “Magma bodies can cool andRead More →
Askja is an active volcano, having had its last eruption in 1961 which lasted five to six weeks. … While most eruptions of Askja are fissure eruptions—meaning lava emerges from cracks in the ground rather than exploding from a volcanic cone–more powerful eruptions are possible. Is Askja still active? AskjaRead More →
Composite volcanoes have very sticky and thick lava, which can make them very explosive when they erupt: gas bubbles that are trapped in the magma chamber find it hard to escape through the viscous rock. They can also spurt lots of hot ash and rocks into the air, making themRead More →