What Makes a Volcano Explode?

A volcano explodes when pressure builds up inside it and then suddenly lets go. Think of a bottle filled with soda, if you shake it up and then open it, the carbon dioxide bubbles rush out in a fizz. A volcano is like that bottle, but much bigger! Magma moves upward, gas builds up, and eventually everything bursts out as lava and ash.

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Examples

  1. A soda bottle exploding when you open it after shaking is like a small volcano.
  2. A pressure cooker hissing and popping when the lid is lifted is similar to what happens inside a volcano.
  3. Bubbles in a lake bursting out suddenly are like tiny volcanic eruptions.

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