New Delhi, May 2 (IANS). Volcano is one of the most powerful and destructive forms of nature. From a geological point of view, it is a mouth or opening located on the surface of the Earth or any planet, from which the lava present in the interior comes out. When this hot magma and gases come to the surface with intense pressure, the process is called volcanic eruption.
This explosion is sometimes loud and sometimes quiet. Volcanic areas usually take the form of mountains. They are made of many layers of rocks, ash and other materials. There are three types of volcanoes – active, dormant and extinct. Active volcanoes have recently erupted or are likely to erupt soon. Dormant volcanoes are quiet now but may erupt in the future. Extinct volcanoes are unlikely to ever erupt again.
Volcanoes on Earth are formed mainly for three reasons. The first reason is the separation of tectonic plates from each other. When the plates move apart, an empty space is formed between them, in which magma or hot liquid underground comes up. Due to this, volcanoes are often formed inside the sea. The second reason is the plates colliding with each other. When one plate gets pressed under another, due to immense heat and pressure the rocks melt and become magma and move upwards.
The third reason is hot spots. Some places inside the Earth are very hot. This heat makes the magma lighter and pushes it upward. When magma reaches the earth’s surface it is called lava. Ash, gas and stones also come out with the explosion. Sometimes it is so strong that the ash rises very high into the sky.
Volcanoes are not limited to just Earth. Volcanoes are also present on other planets and moons in our solar system. Venus and Mars are full of old volcanoes. There are still active volcanoes erupting on some of the moons of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.
Spacecrafts of the American space agency NASA have also taken their photographs. Volcanic eruptions are extremely dangerous. These cover the surrounding areas with ash, damage crops and sometimes cause loss of life and property. But it also has its benefits. Volcanic ash makes the soil fertile and new lands are formed. Scientists constantly keep an eye on volcanoes so that they can be warned of danger in time.
–IANS
MT/AS
