Why Volcanoes Explode

Okay, so you see this mountain? Yeah… this thing can literally explode.

Let me explain why. Deep under the Earth, it is hot. Like, way hotter than

summer hot. Down there is melted rock called magma, and magma really wants to escape.

It’s basically stuck underground like, ‘LET ME OUT.’ The Earth’s crust is cracked into

giant puzzle pieces called tectonic plates. When those plates move,

cracks form—and magma is like, ‘Oh hey, an exit.’ As magma rises,

pressure builds up. Think of shaking a soda bottle and then opening it.

When the pressure gets too high—BOOM—the volcano erupts. Once magma reaches the surface,