The Mighty Volcano

What's powerful enough to build a mountain — or blow the peak off one? A volcano! Join us on a virtual field trip deep below the earth's surface where volcanoes form. Then visit some of the world's most spectacular volcanoes.

Start your tour at the U.S. Geological Survey's site, where you'll find basic facts about volcanoes, like how they form and what causes them to erupt. Then for a more in-depth introduction, click through VolcanoWorld's interactive lesson plan. As you explore these sites, be sure to keep the Glossary of Selected Volcano Terminology close by.

Once you've learned about how volcanoes grow and erupt, why not visit a few? Make your first stop the Cascade Range Volcanoes, where an interactive photo map will direct you to the most breathtaking (and powerful!) volcanoes in the United States. If you're feeling brave, explore Currently Erupting Volcanoes and find out what volcanoes are active right now. And since this is a virtual field trip, we're certainly not bound to earth — check out volcanoes on Mars and Venus in Volcanoes in Space.

With so many different volcanoes, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. If you have a question, check out the online Volcano FAQs. You'll find information on everything from the relationship between earthquakes and volcanoes, to how volcanoes effect the climate. If you can't find an answer to your question, you can always Ask a Volcanologist.

So have you become an volcano expert yet? We challenge you to the VolcanoWorld Kid Quiz. If you have Java, head over to VolcanoWorld Fun and conquer the interactive activities and games, like the Volcano Simulator and Volcano Crossword Puzzle.

U.S. Geological Survey: The Learning Web
http://interactive2.usgs.gov
/learningweb/teachers
/volcanoes.htm

Volcano World
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu
/vwdocs/vwlessons
/lessons/Volcanoes
/Volcanoes1.html

Visit a Volcano
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov
/Volcanoes/Cascades
/ImageMaps/CascadeRange
/cascade_range.html