how do volcanoes work?
Earth's Fizzy Pop
how do volcanoes work?
You know how a fizzy soda bottle sometimes sprays everywhere when you open it? A volcano is Earth doing exactly that — except instead of soda, it's shooting out molten rock that's been building pressure deep underground for years.
Deep under your feet, about 30 miles down, the rock is so hot it melts into a thick glowing soup called magma. It's hotter than your oven can go — around 1,300°F, hot enough to melt steel. This magma is lighter than the solid rock around it, so it wants to rise, like a helium balloon pushing up through water.
