Why Do Volcanoes Sometimes Explode in a Series of Eruptions?

Sometimes, a volcano doesn't blow up all at once, it has a volcano eruption cycle. Imagine a pressure cooker that builds up steam slowly, then lets out a little burst now and then until the whole thing explodes! That’s kind of what happens underground when magma moves around before a big eruption.

Take the quiz →

Examples

A volcano might have three small bursts before one big eruption, like a balloon popping after being pinched several times.
It's like when you take turns eating candies from a bag: sometimes the bag feels heavy, but it doesn’t all fall out at once.
Sometimes a volcano has eruptions every few months for years, like a long series of sneezes.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Science · volcanoes· earth science· eruption cycles