Volcanoes have built islands, buried cities and even changed the global climate. How well do you know these fiery giants?
Which is the largest active volcano on Earth by volume?
Mount Etna
Mauna Loa
Mount Fuji
Kilimanjaro
Correct! Mauna Loa in Hawaii is a massive shield volcano that rises over 9 km from its base on the seafloor.
The answer is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, this shield volcano is over 9 km tall and enormous in volume.
What is molten rock called while it is still underground?
Magma
Lava
Tephra
Pumice
Exactly! Molten rock is called magma underground and only becomes lava once it reaches the surface.
It's magma. The same molten rock is called lava once it erupts onto the surface.
The 'Ring of Fire' surrounds which ocean?
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Right! The Ring of Fire traces the edges of the Pacific, where tectonic plates collide and sink, fuelling hundreds of volcanoes.
It's the Pacific Ocean. Its edges are lined with subduction zones, where sinking plates melt and feed hundreds of volcanoes.
Scratch the card to reveal a fact about volcanoes
In 1943, the Mexican volcano Parícutin erupted out of a farmer's cornfield and grew over 300 metres tall within a year.
Which Roman city was buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD?
Ostia
Carthage
Pompeii
Ravenna
Correct! Pompeii was buried under metres of ash, preserving a snapshot of Roman daily life for archaeologists.
The answer is Pompeii. Ash from Vesuvius buried it so completely that streets, homes and even bread survived for nearly 2,000 years.
Which type of volcano has broad, gentle slopes built from runny lava?
Stratovolcano
Shield volcano
Cinder cone
Lava dome
Well done! Shield volcanoes form from fluid basaltic lava that flows far before cooling, creating a shape like a warrior's shield.
It's a shield volcano. Runny basaltic lava spreads out over long distances, building wide, gently sloping mountains like those in Hawaii.
Flip the card to discover a volcanic surprise
Pumice is a volcanic rock so full of gas bubbles that it can float on water, sometimes forming huge floating rafts at sea.
Did you know?
Which 1815 eruption led to the 'Year Without a Summer'?
Tambora
Krakatoa
Pinatubo
Mount St. Helens
Correct! Tambora in Indonesia blasted so much ash and sulfur into the sky that crops failed across Europe and North America in 1816.
It was Tambora in Indonesia. Its gases and ash cooled the planet, causing snow in summer and crop failures in 1816.
What is a fast-moving current of hot gas and volcanic debris called?
Lahar
Lava tube
Fumarole
Pyroclastic flow
Yes! Pyroclastic flows can race downhill at over 100 km/h and reach hundreds of degrees Celsius, making them the deadliest volcanic hazard.
It's a pyroclastic flow. These avalanches of scorching gas and rock can exceed 100 km/h and are among the most dangerous volcanic events.
What is the largest known volcano in the solar system?
Olympus Mons on Mars
Maxwell Montes on Venus
Loki Patera on Io
Mauna Kea on Earth
Correct! Olympus Mons is about 22 km high, roughly two and a half times the height of Mount Everest above sea level.
It's Olympus Mons on Mars. At around 22 km tall and as wide as France, it dwarfs any volcano on Earth.
Drag the slider to reveal a fact
How far can a volcano be heard?
The 1883 Krakatoa eruption was heard on Rodrigues Island, nearly 4,800 km away, possibly the loudest sound in recorded history.
Which gas makes up most of what volcanoes release?
Carbon dioxide
Sulfur dioxide
Water vapour
Hydrogen sulfide
Right! Water vapour is usually the most abundant volcanic gas, followed by carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide.
It's water vapour. Carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are important too, but steam typically makes up the largest share.
What is the Hawaiian name for rough, jagged lava?
Obsidian
Pillow lava
Pāhoehoe
ʻAʻā
Spot on! ʻAʻā lava has a sharp, clinkery surface, while pāhoehoe is smooth and ropy.
The answer is ʻaʻā. It's rough and jagged, unlike pāhoehoe, which cools into smooth, rope-like folds.
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