A volcano is a hole where melted rock called magma or rock and ashes are
thrown up from inside the earth. Volcanoes are commonly known around the
world for bringing huge destruction as they erupt. When most people think
of volcanoes they think of hot boiling lava. Many people do not realize
that instead of only erupting lava, it also erupts ash and gas. A volcano
works in the following sequence.
1. Melted rock called magma rises from deep within the earth to near the
2. Some of it cools and becomes solid within the crust, but some erupts
on the surface as lava.
3. When two plates with ocean crust move apart magma from the mantle bubbles
up to the surface to fill it.
Because of this factor, the Atlantic Ocean is widening by three-fourths
of an inch per year. The Pacific is widening much, much more as well.
is widening by eight inches every year.
There are many different types of volcanoes. Some volcanoes are dormant,
some are active, and some are dead or extinct. Volcanoes are very
different; they are responsible for shaping many of Earth’s
islands, mountains, and plains. They have also been responsible for
changing weather, burying
cities, and killing people who live near by. Volcanic gases are deadly
poisons. For example, in August 1986, a small eruption in Lake Nyons
Cameroon, located in West Africa, signaled the release of a cloud
of volcanic gases. The noxious fumes killed over 1,700 people.
are born in different ways; hotspot volcanoes, though spectacular,
are rather less
violent. They erupt in different ways from cone shaped volcanoes. Molten
lava rises to the surface from deep within the Earth’s mantle.
It then pierces the plate like a blowtorch and erupts in a lava flow
Though it may seem that hotspots move with the plates, they do not. The
hotspots stay still but the plates keep moving. Eventually chains of
islands, like Hawaii, form. Active volcanoes in Hawaii will soon become
dormant as Hawaii moves off the hotspot.
Its important to know how to stay
safe before a volcanic eruption, during a volcanic eruption, and after
a volcanic eruption.
Before the Eruption:
- Take Red Cross first aid, CPR, and fire safety classes.
- Call a family meeting and discuss where to go, what to take, where to
meet if separated, and what to do about pets.
- Plan escape routes - one by foot and two by car.
- Know where to go and what you will take in case of an evacuation.
- Store emergency supplies, food, and water.
- Post by every phone a number to call in case of a fire.
- Install portable smoke detectors outside every sleeping area and on
every level of your home, garage, and workshop.
- Use button to test smoke alarms twice a year.
- Store extra smoke alarm batteries.
- Keep fire extinguishers in the kitchen and hallways. Test and replace
immediately if faulty.
- Conduct fire drills, including walking or driving evacuation routes.
- Draw a floor plan and find two ways to escape from every room and conduct
- Get rope or chain ladders for upper stories and practice using.
During the Eruption:
- Turn off gas at the meter to avoid danger of explosion.
- Put on heavy shoes and protective clothing.
- Take your stored supplies and complete evacuation procedures.
- Listen to the radio for updates on the volcano.
- Do not return home until the eruption is declared over and lava flow
and fires have stopped.
- Prepare to travel on a confirmed route.
- If driving, use extreme caution and take only confirmed routes. Abandon
your car if lava and fire encroaches and take a route away from the fire.
- Assist others and render first aid as safety permits.
- Listen to the radio reports for confirmed information and instructions,
including location of Red Cross Disaster Stations, shelters, and animal
- Use caution when going home. Do not return unless advised by authorities
that conditions are safe and roads are clear.
- If driving is necessary, drive with caution. Visibility may be poor
if it is raining volcanic ash, and mud slides and landslides can occur.
- Avoid volcano damaged areas and lava flow areas.
- Go to the Red Cross Disaster Station for emergency treatment.
- Check your home’s exterior for damage and stability. If an earthquake
has occurred, use due caution and follow procedures.
- Do not go inside if it appears unsafe.
- If other family members are not there, follow your plan for locating
one another, including calling your out-of-the-area contact person.
- Approach animals with caution and comfort and contain them as much as
- Check and repair fenced areas for animals.
- Temporarily contain pets and livestock.
- Beware of loose or dangling electrical wires. Do not touch.
- Check gas appliance connections for signs of gas leaks. Do not light