Volcano Worksheets

A volcano is an opening in Earth's crust that lets molten rock escape from deep inside the Earth. Molten rock is called magma inside the Earth's crust and lava once it escapes outside. During a volcanic eruption, gases and magma are pushed out of the opening and spill over the sides of the opening. A cloud of gases, smoke, and dust fill the air above the volcano. When volcanoes erupt, they can build mountains or blast away large portions of them. Eruptions may cause lava flows, hot ash flows, or mudslides. Eruptions can destroy acres of forests or farmland or build new islands. Erupting volcanoes can cause other natural disasters, such as tsunamis and earthquakes.