WhatIsAVolcano
Theword"volcano"comesfromthelittleislandofVulcanointheMediterraneanSeaoffSicily
Centuriesago,thepeoplelivinginthisareabelievedthatVulcanowasthechimneyoftheforgeofVulcan--theblacksmithoftheRomangods
TheythoughtthatthehotlavafragmentsandcloudsofdusteruptingformVulcanocamefromVulcan'sforgeashebeatoutthunderboltsforJupiter,kingofthegods,andweaponsforMars,thegodofwar
InPolynesiathepeopleattributederuptiveactivitytothebeautifulbutwrathfulPele,GoddessofVolcanoes,whenevershewasangryorspiteful
Todayweknowthatvolcaniceruptionsarenotsuper-naturalbutcanbestudiedandinterpretedbyscientists
TheNatureofVolcanoesVolcanoesaremountains,buttheyareverydifferentfromothermountains;theyarenotformedbyfoldingandcrumplingorbyupliftanderosion
Instead,volcanoesarebuiltbytheaccumulationoftheirowneruptive