NATURE's MYSTERIES VOLCANOES SARAH MACHAJEWSKI Britannica Educational Publishing U IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROSEN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
4 EARTHLY EXPLOSIONS Imagine you’re looking at a mountain From the outside it is big solid and steady Suddenly great bursts of fire shoot into the air Clouds of ash and gas roar into the sky Rivers of lava race down the sides Now it is clear that is a volcano not a mountain Volcanoes have fasci nated people for centuries The ancient Romans believed volcanoes erupted Fiery lava explodes from the mouth of a volcano Volcanic eruptions are both dangerous and fascinating
5 when their god of fire Vulcan made thunder bolts and weapons Other cultures explained volcanoes as outbursts of anger from a god or goddess These beliefs were a way to understand something that seemed mysterious Today scientists can explain a great deal about volcanic activity However it still seems mysterious Volcanic activity brews underground beneath our feet and we cannot see it until a great explosion forces us to look The word volcano comes from the name Vulcan who was the Roman god of fire Why do you think volcanoes were named after him THINK ABOUT IT Vulcan was also the god of metalworking Here he forges a weapon with fire and tools
