大象传媒

Volcano locations

Volcanoes form when , which is molten rock from beneath the Earth's crust, reaches the surface. The magma erupts to form .

Volcanoes usually form along , where crustal plates are either moving towards or away from one another:

  • - this is where two plates move away from one another. Magma rises up to fill the gaps in between.
  • - this is where two plates move towards one another. The oceanic crust sinks beneath continental crust at a zone - a point where one crustal plate is forced beneath another. As the oceanic crust sinks into the mantle it creates magma, which rises to form a volcano.

Volcanoes affect different places in different ways. They cause more damage in poorer countries, where there are fewer resources to predict and prepare for them.

Mount Aso in Japan is one of the world's most active volcanoes
Image caption,
Mount Aso in Japan is one of the world's most active volcanoes