Volcanoes are mong the most powerful forces in nature. A volcano is a hole in the earth's crust. Molten rock, smoke and gas come out of this hole. The molten rock is called "lava" when it reaches the surface and "magma" when it's still inside the Earth. There are different kinds of lava. Some kinds are thick and sticky. Other kinds are thin and runny.

There are over 400 active volcanoes in the world. Volcanoes are found in weak places, or faults in the earth's crust. Usually this is where the earth's plates crash together or separate.

1. volcano can become active becuase of a change in the Earth's crust that causes a crack to form. An earthquake can cause cracks to form that may later produce a volcano.

2. Volcanoes and Earthquakes - Terry Jenning

Children's Britannica #18

Just another bit of information about volcanoes...Did you know that there are active volcanoes on IO. Of course, I mean IO one of the moons of Jupiter.

Also, the December 1982 issue of National Geographic has an article about volcanoes. Your school library has this issue

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€LSDMWPWhat causes a Volcano to Erupt?

Drew, room 11, Mrs. Pottery