What Is a Volcano? for Kids | Learn all about these unique landforms

What is a volcano? Did you know that there are around 1,500 active volcanoes in the world today? Every day about 15 to 20 volcanoes erupt. Today we are going to learn more about volcanoes and we are going to do a fun experiment together. Ready to get started? Let's go! First, let's talk about what a volcano actually is. A volcano is a mountain made of cooled lava, ash, or other material from a previous volcanic eruption. Here's an interesting fact about volcanoes. Of the over 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth, about 80 of them are actually located under the ocean. In the United States, active volcanoes can be found in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon, and Washington. The world's largest active volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Mauna Loa most recently erupted in November and December of 2022. Volcanoes are caused by movements of the Earth's crust. Volcanoes are formed when magma reaches its way to the surface of the Earth. And what is magma? Magma is extremely hot liquid and semi-liquid rock located underneath the Earth's surface. When this molten rock reaches the surface of the Earth, it becomes lava. Lava is what flows out of a volcano when it erupts. Eruption happens when gas bubbles inside the magma expand and make the pressure inside the volcano build up. Once that pressure builds, it wants to get out, pressing on the Earth's crust and finding weak spots where it can escape. Once these weak spots are found, the magma bursts through and exits the volcano in the form of lava. Pretty cool, right? As volcanoes erupt over and over again, the rock cools, making the volcano larger and larger. The more this process happens, the larger the volcano becomes. Here's another interesting fact about volcanoes. The ring of fire in the Pacific Ocean is where most volcanoes are located and where most earthquakes originate. That's because there is a lot of movement happening on the surface of the Earth. There are three volcanic stages, extinct, dormant, and active. Can you guess which of these three is the extinct volcano? Yep, it is the one on the left. As you might guess, an extinct volcano has not erupted for thousands of years and will probably never erupt again. A dormant volcano has not erupted in a long time, but it could erupt in the future. And an active volcano is a volcano that has recently erupted and may erupt again soon, like Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Now that we know more about volcanoes, let's make one. Well, not literally, of course, but we can create our own model volcano and have a lot of fun while we do. First, make sure you set things up in an area that can get a little messy. If the weather is nice, you can even go outside. Next, you need to gather your materials. Have an adult help you. Here is what you will need for this experiment. A plastic cup or empty plastic water bottle, dirt, sand, or rocks, water, baking soda, white vinegar, dish soap, and something to stir with, like a spoon or a stick, and some washable paint if you want to jazz it up a bit. Oh yeah, don't forget your measuring spoons. You will need a teaspoon and a tablespoon for this activity. We will wait for you to get everything ready. Okay, now for the fun part. First, fill the cup or water bottle about two-thirds full of water. Then make a mound of sand, dirt, or rocks around the cup. This is the outside of the volcano. Next, add four to six tablespoons of baking soda to the water. Then add one teaspoon of dish soap to the water and a splash of paint for some pizzazz if you want to. Stir the ingredients together with your stirring tool. For the grand finale, slowly pour the white vinegar into your volcanic concoction and watch it erupt. Nice job, friends! Science can be pretty fun, huh? Now that you have finished this experiment, let's talk about your observations. How was this model like a real volcano? How was it different? Record and discuss your results with your family or friends. And next time, grab a group of people and do this fun experiment together. Hope you had fun learning with us. Visit us at learnbright.org for thousands of free resources and turnkey solutions for teachers and homeschoolers.