How do Volcanoes Form?
Volcanoes are formed when magma from within the Earth's upper mantle works it's way to the mantle. At the surface, it erupts to form lava flows and ash deposits. Over time as the volcano continues to erupt, it will get bigger and bigger. Mount Etna last major eruption was in 1992. Mount Etna, like other Mediterranean volcanoes such as Stromboli and Vesuvius, rests on the subduction boundary where the African tectonic plate is being pushed under the Eurasian plate, it was formed in 1500 BC. The eruption of Mount Etna may affect air quality and visibility across parts of southern Europe into the end of the week.
Fun Facts - Mount Etna is the oldest volcano. The volcano with the most amount of kills is Mount Tambora with 71,000+ kills. Mount Taal is the smallest volcano that is still active. The United States of America has the most amount of volcanoes in their country, with about 173 volcanoes. The word “volcano” comes from the Roman name “Vulcan” – the Roman god of fire. 350 million, or one in 20 people in the world live within “danger range” of an active volcano. In A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, devastating the Italian town of Pompeii. The ash deposits preserved the town and the remains of the people within it. The “Ring of Fire”, a 40,000 km Horseshoe shaped area of the Pacific Ocean, is home to 90% of all volcanoes on the Earth. The soil near volcanoes is said to be rich and fertile which is why some people actually set up home on the slopes. The ancient Greeks thought that the god of Fire, Hephaestus, lived beneath Mt. Etna, The Titan god Prometheus is said to have stolen fire from Hephaestus's volcano to give to humans.
