Scientists study a volcano’s history to try to predict when it will next erupt. They want to know how long it has been since it last erupted. They also want to know the time span between its previous eruptions. Scientists watch both active and dormant volcanoes closely for signs that show they might erupt.

While hazard maps play a role in managing many elements of a volcanic crisis, such as understanding relationships between hazards, identifying areas of potential danger, informing risk assessments, and planning evacuation routes, they serve as an important tool in crisis communication.

It is important to know about volcanoes because volcanoes spew hot, dangerous gases, ash, lava, and rock that are powerfully destructive and it can kill you. We should care because if a volcano erupts around where we live, we would know how to protect ourselves from it.

Answer: it is important to define what a volcano is before discussing how many active volcanoes there are because your audience needs to understand the subject before its discussed. Otherwise, the audience or reader may not understand the topic and become confused.

Fast-moving lava can kill people and falling ash can make it hard for them to breathe. They can also die from famine, fires and earthquakes which can be related to volcanoes. People can lose their possessions as volcanoes can destroy houses, roads and fields. Lava can kill plants and animals too.

6 ways volcanoes benefit Earth, our environment

• Atmospheric cooling.
• Land formation.
• Water production.
• Fertile land.
• Geothermal energy.
• Raw materials.

Protecting yourself during ashfall

• Stay inside, if possible, with windows and doors closed.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Use goggles to protect your eyes.
• Exposure to ash can harm your health, particularly the respiratory (breathing) tract.
• Keep your car or truck engine switched off.

The space for the magma to leave is very small and, as it travels, pressure builds, meaning it escapes violently when released. This escaping liquid rock becomes lava, which solidifies as it travels. Layers of lava build up over time, creating volcanoes.

Use goggles and wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses. Use a dust mask or hold a damp cloth over your face to help with breathing. Stay away from areas downwind from the volcano to avoid volcanic ash. Stay indoors until the ash has settled unless there is a danger of the roof collapsing.

IF YOU ARE UNDER A VOLCANO WARNING:

1. Limit your time outdoors and use a dust mask or cloth mask as a last resort.
2. Avoid areas downwind and river valleys downstream of the volcano.
3. Take temporary shelter from volcanic ash where you are.
4. Cover ventilation openings and seal doors and windows.
5. Avoid driving in heavy ash.

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Benefits of living by a volcano

• volcanic rock and ash provide fertile land which results in a higher crop yield for farmers.
• tourists are attracted to the volcano, which increases money to the local economy.
• geothermal energy can be harnessed, which provides cheaper electricity for locals.

Roughly every 100,000 years, there’s a supervolcano explosion somewhere in the world, the consequences of which can be fatal. If the volcano below Yellowstone National Park were to erupt, it would result in worldwide hunger and a volcanic winter (the cooling of the lower atmosphere).

Yellowstone supervolcano

Those parts of the surrounding states of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming that are closest to Yellowstone would be affected by pyroclastic flows, while other places in the United States would be impacted by falling ash (the amount of ash would decrease with distance from the eruption site).

Mount Merapi

Indonesia

Mauna Loa