Into the Crater: A Volcano Quiz

Which is the largest active volcano on land by volume?

Mount Etna

Mauna Loa

Kilimanjaro

Mount Fuji

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Correct! Mauna Loa in Hawaii is a giant shield volcano. Measured from the seafloor, it rises about 9 km.

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The answer is Mauna Loa in Hawaii. This huge shield volcano covers about half of the Big Island and has erupted more than 30 times since 1843.

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What do we call molten rock while it is still underground?

Lava

Tephra

Magma

Pumice

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Exactly! Molten rock is called magma underground. It becomes lava once it reaches the surface.

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The answer is magma. The same molten rock is only called lava after it erupts onto the surface.

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The 'Ring of Fire' surrounds which ocean?

Pacific Ocean

Atlantic Ocean

Indian Ocean

Arctic Ocean

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Right! The Pacific Ring of Fire is home to about 75% of Earth's volcanoes, formed where tectonic plates meet and sink.

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It's the Pacific Ocean. Its edges are lined with subduction zones, which is why about 75% of the world's volcanoes are found there.

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Scratch the card to reveal a fact about volcanoes

Volcanic eruptions can create their own lightning, as colliding ash particles in the plume build up huge electric charges.

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Which Roman city was buried by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79?

Ravenna

Ostia

Paestum

Pompeii

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Spot on! Pompeii lay buried under metres of ash, which preserved buildings, art and even loaves of bread.

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It was Pompeii. The ash preserved the city so well that archaeologists can still walk its streets today.

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What is the tallest known volcano in the solar system?

Mauna Kea

Ascraeus Mons

Olympus Mons

Maat Mons

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Correct! Olympus Mons on Mars is about 22 km high, nearly three times the height of Mount Everest.

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The answer is Olympus Mons on Mars. It could grow that large because Mars has lower gravity and no moving plates to carry it away from its hotspot.

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Flip the card to discover a volcanic curiosity

'Pele's hair' is fine strands of volcanic glass spun by wind from lava fountains. It is named after the Hawaiian volcano goddess.

Did you know?

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What is a fast-moving avalanche of hot gas, ash and rock called?

Lahar

Pyroclastic flow

Fumarole

Caldera

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Yes! Pyroclastic flows can exceed 700 km/h and reach hundreds of degrees Celsius. They are among the deadliest volcanic hazards.

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It's a pyroclastic flow. A lahar is a volcanic mudflow, while a pyroclastic flow is a scorching cloud of gas and debris that races downhill.

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Which 1815 eruption led to the 'Year Without a Summer'?

Tambora

Krakatoa

Pinatubo

Vesuvius

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Correct! Tambora in Indonesia threw so much sulfur into the atmosphere that crops failed across Europe and North America in 1816.

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It was Tambora in Indonesia. Its gases dimmed sunlight worldwide, and 1816 brought summer snow and failed harvests.

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Which type of volcano has gentle slopes built from runny lava?

Cinder cone

Stratovolcano

Lava dome

Shield volcano

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Right! Runny basalt lava flows far before it cools, building wide shield volcanoes shaped like a warrior's shield.

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It's a shield volcano. Fluid basalt lava spreads out over long distances, so these volcanoes end up broad with gentle slopes.

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Drag the slider to uncover a surprising fact

How fast can a brand-new volcano grow?

In 1943, Parícutin volcano burst out of a Mexican cornfield and grew more than 300 metres tall in its first year.

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What is the large crater left when a volcano collapses into its emptied magma chamber?

Fissure

Caldera

Vent

Geyser

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Exactly! A caldera forms when the ground sinks after a huge eruption. Crater Lake in Oregon fills one.

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It's a caldera. After a massive eruption empties the magma chamber, the summit collapses and leaves a huge basin.

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Which country has the most historically active volcanoes?

Japan

Iceland

Indonesia

Chile

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Correct! Indonesia sits where several tectonic plates meet and has more historically active volcanoes than any other country.

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The answer is Indonesia. It lies on the Ring of Fire where several plates collide, and it has more historically active volcanoes than any other country.

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