• Question: Do you KNOW how VOLCANOS are made

    Asked by anon-271965 on 16 Dec 2020.
    • Photo: Kate Dobson

      Kate Dobson answered on 16 Dec 2020:

      Volcanoes happen because of a process called plate tectonics. The surface of the Earth is very thin (only 7-70 km, when it is over 6300 km to the centre of the Earth) and lies on top of the mantle. The mantle flows, and as the crust is broken up into several rigid plates, these move around. Most volcanoes form where the plates move apart (and the mantle come up to fill the gap) and where the plates collide. When one plate gets pushed under the other and into the mantle, it gets heated up and the water in it gets released. Because there is more water in the mantle it can generate magma which rises towards the surface to give us volcanoes.

    • Photo: Amy Rattenbury

      Amy Rattenbury answered on 16 Dec 2020:

      It is something to do with shifts in the plates of the earth I think but I am sure Kate will be able to answer this one for you!

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