Volcanoes

Imagine being a giant, sleepy mountain, so tall that your peak tickles the clouds. Deep inside my belly, I hold a secret—a big, warm tummy full of hot, bubbly rock soup called magma. Most of the time, I just snooze for hundreds of years, feeling the world change around me. But sometimes, I get a funny feeling deep inside. It starts as a little rumble, like a tummy grumble after a big meal. The ground shakes and shivers as I get ready to wake up. Then, with a mighty roar that shakes the sky, I let out a giant burp of ash, steam, and glowing red lava. It might seem a little messy, but it’s just my way of saying hello to the world. Do you know who I am? I am a Volcano.

For a very long time, people who lived near me didn't understand my rumbly tummy. They thought I was a grumpy giant living inside the mountain, getting angry and breathing fire. They told stories about me to explain my big, loud burps. One of my most famous cousins, Mount Vesuvius, woke up with a very big surprise on August 24th, in the year 79 CE. He let out a giant cloud of ash that covered a whole town called Pompeii like a thick, gray blanket. It was a very powerful day, and a young man named Pliny the Younger watched from far away. He wrote down everything he saw, which helped people later on understand what happened. Much later, clever scientists figured out my real secret. They learned that the Earth is covered in giant puzzle pieces called plates, and when they move and shift, they create a little opening for my hot magma soup to bubble up to the surface. I’m not an angry giant at all, just a part of how our amazing Earth works.

Even though my eruptions can be big and loud, I am also a builder. I am a creator of new worlds. When my fiery lava cools down, it becomes hard, black rock. Sometimes, this rock piles up so high from the bottom of the ocean that it pops out of the water and creates a brand-new island. That’s how the beautiful islands of Hawaii were born, one lava flow at a time. The ash I puff into the air isn't just dust. It settles on the ground and makes the soil super healthy, which is called being fertile. This special soil helps farmers grow the yummiest fruits and vegetables. I am a powerful and important part of our planet. I show how the Earth is always changing and growing. I remind everyone to listen to the rumbles and stories of our wonderful world.