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What Makes Volcanoes Erupt?

Volcanoes erupt when pressure builds up inside the Earth. Imagine a bottle of soda, if you shake it and then open it, the soda rushes out like a mini eruption! Inside the Earth, molten rock (magma) is trapped under layers of rock. When the pressure gets too high, the magma pushes its way out through cracks in the ground or a volcano’s opening.

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Examples

  1. A volcano erupts like a shaken soda bottle. When the pressure inside builds up, it bursts out like fizz rushing from a can.
  2. Magma is like lava in a bottle. It stays trapped until the pressure becomes too much, then BOOM!, it comes rushing out.
  3. Volcanoes erupt when the ground cracks open. Think of it like a hot soup being poured into a bowl that's already full, soon, it spills over.

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Categories: Science · volcanoes· earth science· geology