Ascension : Kids Klub
Submitted by The Islander (Sarah Coverdale) 12.04.2007 (Article Archived on 26.04.2007)

Have I really not done a Kids Klub page about Volcano’s?

How could I have missed them,  epecially when we are surrounded by over 40 peaks here on Ascension and all the ground we walk on is only here because of them!

Ascension hasn’t seen any eruptions lately our volcanoes are not extinct, but dormant – (which means sleeping).   The signs of eruptions are all there. Look for the lava flows.   The last one that is thought to have erupted is Sisters Peak about 600 hundred years ago.   Should a volcano on Ascension wake up – we would get plenty of warnings and scientists study the volcanoes to see how active they are. 

Tambora, Indonesia, in 1815, killed around 92,000 people.   The eruption sent fiery ash into the stratosphere, which cooled the world climate for more than a year.   In some parts of the world, that year is called 'the year without a summer' because it was so cool. Tambora also destroyed crops, and led to disease and water contamination.

There is also good news about Volcanoes.  They create new land, Volcanic ash is very good for soil, so plants grow quickly and strong after a volcano.

Green Mountain and that is easy to see.

Volcano Facts

One in 10 people in the world live within 'danger range' of an active volcano.

There are around 1510 'active' volcanoes in the world. Volcanologists disagree on what comes under the term 'active', but 1510 volcanoes have erupted in the last 10,000 years, which means they are active in the world of volcanoes.

There are thought to be many more volcanoes on the sea bed.

Hawaii. Its whole volume is about 80,000 cubic kilometres.