Sometimes, a volcano acts like a soda bottle that's been shaken and opened, soda comes out quickly. If the lava inside a volcano is thick and has a lot of gas, it can trap the gas until it suddenly escapes in an explosion. That’s what happens in a violent eruption! A volcano with runny lava usually just flows slowly, like water, instead of exploding.
Examples
- A soda bottle is like a volcano, when you shake it up and open it quickly, carbon dioxide escapes in a burst.
- A pressure cooker that's not vented explodes suddenly, like how gas builds up and then bursts out of a volcano.
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See also
- Why Do Volcanoes Erupt?
- What Makes a ‘Volcano’ Erupt So Violently?
- What Makes a ‘Volcano’ Different from a ‘Mountain’?
- How Do Volcanoes Shape Landscapes?
- Why Do Volcanoes Explode?