Facts About Volcanoes That Kids Will Love

Did you know that the 1883 eruption of the volcano Krakatoa produced the loudest sound ever recorded in history?
If you were asked to describe volcanoes with one word, scary might come to mind first.

And look, you’re not wrong—they’re huge mountains that spit fire and are capable of great destruction. But they are also fascinating.

First, for their great powerful eruptions. Then there’s the beautiful surrounding landscape, including lush forests, intimidating mountains, deep valleys, and breathtakingly beautiful lakes.

If you’re as impressed by volcanoes as you are scared of them, you should definitely stick around!. You’re about to learn incredible facts about one of nature’s most powerful forces.

A volcano’s shape depends on the kind of lava that erupts from it.

Tall, cone-shaped volcanoes such as Japan’s Mt. Fuji are called composite volcanoes or stratovolcanoes.

They erupt with thick lava that doesn’t get to roll down far before it hardens, creating a steep slope.

On the other hand, some volcanoes are much flatter, and these are called shield volcanoes.

The lava from these volcanoes is much more runny and spreads out more evenly before eventually solidifying, creating broad, gentle slopes.

Volcanoes can sometimes grow very fast.

Believe it or not, volcanoes can appear overnight.

Imagine waking up one morning and finding a volcano in your backyard. That’s precisely what happened to a Mexican farmer, Dionisio Pulido, in 1943.

The volcano, called Parícutin, grew 164 feet (50 meters) on the first day and reached 492 feet (150 meters) by the end of the week.

It remained active over the next nine years and reached a final height of 1391 ft (424 m). It last erupted in February 1952 and, as of 2025, has remained dormant since.

Most volcanoes are underwater.

About 75% of the Earth’s volcanoes are roughly arranged in the shape of a horseshoe in the Pacific Ocean. This zone is called the Pacific Ring of Fire.

But just because these volcanoes are underwater doesn’t make them less active. In fact, 90% of all earthquakes also occur in this region.

The activities of underwater volcanoes have, over the years, shaped the landscape of the seafloor.

Even more impressive is that they sometimes grow large enough to break through the surface, forming new islands.

Volcanoes can be active, dormant, or extinct.

While there are no strict definitions, active volcanoes are generally defined as those that have erupted within the past 10,000 years.

This also includes any volcano currently erupting or showing signs of activity, such as releasing gas or minor earthquakes.

Now, if a volcano hasn’t been active for a while but scientists still believe it could become active again, it’s called dormant.

The last group, extinct volcanoes, haven’t been active in 10,000 years, and no one expects them to erupt again.

There are about 1,900 active volcanoes on Earth.

About 60 of these active volcanoes are likely to erupt every year. Indonesia is a particularly hot spot for volcanic activity.

In fact, 55 volcanoes have been active in the country since 1960, earning it the top spot.

Japan, with 40 active volcanoes, is close behind, and the United States, with 39 active volcanoes, is in third place.

The loudest sound in history was the Krakatoa eruption in 1883.

The sound of Krakatoa’s eruption in 1883 reached a whopping 310 decibels. To put this in perspective, it was heard loud and clear at the Bay of Bengal, about 1,300 miles (2092 km) away.

Even to people on islands in the western Indian Ocean 3000 miles (4828 km) from the blast, it was as loud as gunshots.

And for those that were close? The pressure was so intense that it ruptured the eardrums of the sailors nearby.

The only difference between lava and magma is location.

Magma is molten rock found within the Earth’s crust and volcanoes. When the Earth’s crust or mantle gets really hot, underground rocks begin to melt and rise.

Eventually, this molten rock reaches the surface, as in a volcanic eruption, and is called lava.

Some volcanoes spew ice when they erupt.

These extraordinary volcanoes, called cryovolcanoes, are found far from Earth, in places like Pluto, its moon Charon, and several of Neptune’s and Saturn’s moons.

Instead of molten rock, they release cryolava, a mixture of water, hydrocarbons, and ammonia from an underground cryomagma reservoir.

Since these planets are so cold, the cryolava freezes almost immediately, forming a new icy landscape.

Volcanic ash can spark lightning.

If you’ve ever seen a clip of a large volcanic eruption, you might notice some flashes of lightning within the towering ash and smoke. This phenomenon is known as volcanic lightning.

This spectacle is caused by ash particles rubbing against each other, generating static electricity. When this energy builds up enough, it’s released as lightning.

Over 80% of land on Earth is made by volcanoes.

When lava flows out from volcanoes and eventually solidifies, it forms new land. This may create new mountains, valleys, and even entire islands.

Some islands were created solely by volcanic activity. Examples include Hawaii, Easter Island, the Galapagos Islands, and the Jeju Islands.