Volcanoes have long agitated the mind of man.The name "volcano" comes from the name of the Roman god of fire Vulcan.The Romans believed that the ever-smoldering fire-breathing peaks - it forges a formidable deity, in which he forges his weapons.However, a similar opinion was shared by the other peoples of the time.And what volcanoes in today's presentation?
To answer this question, it is necessary briefly to repeat the structure of our planet.If you remember high-school physics, geography and geology, then the solid crust of the Earth is hidden and the molten magma core, which makes our planet cool.The tectonic plates that form the crust and slowly drift through the ocean of molten rock, and as a result of clashes on the border joints are formed geological faults, creating new mountain ranges and volcanoes ....Places exit of magma to the surface and transformed over time into a fire-breathing majestic mountains, which is, for example, Mount Erebus.
However, "over time" - is not the expression.The fact that the first eruption of lava flows form the outer cone of the volcano almost instantly.If you think about the fact that such volcanoes, then you almost certainly have in mind it is the outer part of it.It is this mountain has a specific and easily recognizable form.However, the "volcano" more correct to call it the fault in the earth's crust through which molten magma flows to the surface.And do not assume that such a phenomenon can only be observed on the surface of the Earth.Scientists believe many more volcanoes on the ocean floor: this is due to the fact some of the features of its geological structure, moreover, it accounts for a huge pressure of water column.
accepted that if these mountains a long time served "signs of life" that they may be called "extinct volcanoes."In most cases this is true, but one should not assume that an extinct = dead.As practice shows, these are the neighbors pose the greatest threat to all who live near them.
In particular, almost 6000 years ago, most of the population of the Mediterranean in those years died or were forced to move.It happened after Mount Etna, who had been silent until then, many hundreds of years, suddenly awakened.The effects were so devastating that only traces of the tsunami that occurred after the eruption, archaeologists have found thousands of kilometers from the source.
the way, asking the question of what volcanoes should not be limited beyond Earth.As recent research on Mars in the past days the volcanic activity.In particular, Olympus is located on the red planet, height is 26 kilometers ...!This is due to gravity.It allows the lava to rise to astounding heights.In addition, the volcanic activity is observed on other planets of the solar system.
We hope that after reading this article you have no questions about what the volcano!
