What are volcanic domes?

A volcanic dome is like a big, round hill that grows slowly on top of a volcano.

Imagine you have a jar full of jellybeans, and every time you shake the jar, more jellybeans pop out and stack up on top. That’s kind of what happens with volcanic domes, instead of jellybeans, it's hot rock, and instead of a jar, it's inside the volcano.

Volcanic domes form when molten rock (called lava) is thick and sticky, like honey. It doesn’t flow far; it just piles up near the top of the volcano. Over time, this pile gets bigger and bigger, forming a rounded hill, that’s the dome.

Sometimes, these domes are not just pretty to look at, they can be active too! The lava inside might still be warm, and if it moves again, it could cause more eruptions or even little landslides on the side of the dome.

Volcanic domes are like slow-motion lava cupcakes, growing one layer at a time!