Are there any active volcanoes near you?

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are a result of plate tectonics and basically consist of molten rock (magma) under pressure under the Earth's crust breaks through a crack in the surface.

Eruptions can be slow and gradual, like Surtsey (Iceland) or they can be sudden and explosive, like Mount Saint Helens (USA) in 1980. Some time they produce relatively slow-moving rivers of red hot rocks, as in Hawaii. Flows of lava devastate the areas they flow over. Explosive volcanoes will shower the surrounding area with debris, often burying the area around and downwind with a layer of ash. The finer ash also rises high enough to be a danger to planes.

The magma contains a lot of gas which is released when volcanoes are erupting. The gas consists of water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), hydrogen sulfide(H₂S), hydrochloric acid(HCl), hydrogen (H), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrofluoric acid (HF), and more, the proportions varying from volcano to volcano. This is mixed with the ash and is released into the stratosphere. CO₂ is a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. HCl and HF can dissolve and turn rain into acid rain. Much of the SO₂ reacts to form sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) in the form of fine particles (aerosols) which reflect the sun, making the troposphere cooler, but absorb heat from the Earth making the stratosphere warmer. Aerosols also contribute to ozone destruction. The gases can also harm or kill people near the earthquake, particularly CO₂ which can sink and form invisible pools.

Sometimes the amount of material thrown out into the atmosphere can be enough to affect the whole world, as happened with Krakatoa in 1883. The haze caused amazing sunsets and unpredictable weather for some time. There are a few supervolcanoes in the world, like the one at Yellowstone, which could plunge s into a volcanic winter lasting a decade.

Recent news stories involving volcanoes include:

• Awe Marks Mount St. Helens Anniversary May 19 2005
• Mt. St. Helens Victims' Families Sound Off May 18 2005
• Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano a Big Polluter May 17 2005
• Mount Rainier 3rd Most Dangerous Volcano May 17 2005
• Krakatoa volcano sparks tsunami panic in Indonesia May 16 2005
• Volcano Fernandina erupts in Galapagos Islands May 13 2005
• Yellowstone Rated High for Eruption Threat May 06 2005
• US geologists press for volcano early warning plan May 02 2005
• Report Urges Increased Volcano Monitoring April 29 2005
• Alaska's Mount Spurr Continues to Rumble April 20 2005
• Volcano Erupts April 19 2005
• Comoros Volcano Victims Return to Dirty Water April 19 2005
• Thousands Flee Comoros Volcanic Eruption April 18 2005
• Indonesia Scientists Monitor 3 Volcanoes April 14 2005
• Activity Changes Dome of Mount St. Helens April 13 2005
• Indonesian Volcano Prompts Evacuation April 13 2005
• Volcano on Indonesia's Sumatra Erupts April 11 2005
• Scientists: Yellowstone Eruption Unlikely April 08 2005
• Saipan Volcano Erupts Over Pacific Islands April 06 2005
• 8.7 Quake Hits Indonesia March 28 2005
• Mexico's Volcano of Fire Spews Hot Lava March 11 2005
• Restless Volcano Creates Hazards in Alaska March 04 2005

Volcano in Western Mexico Erupts, Mexico's 'Fire Volcano' erupts, no evacuations yet

The Colima volcano in Western Mexico 430 miles northwest of Mexico City did not cause any injuries or damage.

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