VOLCANOES

VOLCANOES Where molten rock erupts from an opening on Earths's surface,volcanoes develop.Most of them form near the edges of tectonic plates. Molten rock called magma is formed in a few places deep in Earth's crust or even in the mantle.If magma reaches the surface it is called Larva. Large volcanoes called stratovolcanoes are built by a series of eruptions ,with each one adding a layer of solidified lava and ash on top of the last.Volcanoes are Earth's geologic architects. They've created more than 80 percent of our planet's surface, laying the foundation that has allowed life to thrive. Their explosive force crafts mountains as well as craters. Lava rivers spread into bleak landscapes. But as time ticks by, the elements break down these volcanic rocks, liberating nutrients from their stony prisons and creating remarkably fertile soils that have allowed civilizations to flourish. There are volcanoes on every continent, even Antarctica. Some 1,500