Why Do Volcanoes Erupt in Chains?

Imagine you're baking a cake, and the heat from the oven makes the cake rise in long lines. Volcanoes erupt in chains for a similar reason, molten rock from deep inside Earth moves up through cracks in the ground, creating a line of volcanic eruptions over time. Like cookies on a tray, these volcanoes can be spread out across land or under the sea.

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Examples

  1. A line of volcanoes stretching like cookies on a baking tray
  2. Volcanic islands forming one after the other like stepping stones in an ocean
  3. A volcanic mountain range appearing as if it were made by a giant cookie cutter

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