Why Do Volcanoes Sometimes Erupt in a Ring Shape?

Volcanoes sometimes erupt in a ring shape because they're like a cookie cutter made by hot rock deep under the Earth.

Imagine you have a big bowl of melted chocolate, that's like the magma below the ground. Now, if there are several little holes in the bottom of the bowl, the chocolate would come out through all those holes at once. That’s what happens with some volcanoes: magma comes up through multiple cracks or vents, and when it erupts, it makes a circle, like a ring.

Think about your favorite pizza. If the chef cuts it into slices but only cooks the crust around the edge, that’s kind of what happens with these volcanoes. The hot rock pushes up from below and breaks through the ground in many places at once, like the edges of a ring.

Sometimes, this ring shape is so clear you can see it on maps or even from space! It's like when you drop several rocks into a pond at the same time, each one makes a ripple, but together they look like a circle.