A volcano is an opening in the earth’s crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape. Volcanic eruptions are partly driven by pressure from dissolved gas, much as escaping gases force the cork out of a bottle of champagne. Beneath a volcano, liquid magma containing dissolved gases rises through cracks in the Earth’s crust. As the magma rises, pressure decreases, allowing the gases to form bubbles.
A volcano is an opening in the earth’s crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape. Volcanic eruptions are partly driven by pressure from dissolved gas, much as escaping gases force the cork out of a bottle of champagne. Beneath a volcano, liquid magma containing dissolved gases rises through cracks in the Earth’s crust. As the magma rises, pressure decreases, allowing the gases to form bubbles.