This is the word of the moment. A word that is in the news. A word that didn’t have a lot of meaning for many people until now. Especially me. Because thanks to this I am now stuck in the UK. And this word is….

Volcano!!!!!

Volcano: a vent in Earth’s crust through which molten and solid rock and/or hot gases are erupted to the surface. The word volcano is derived from the Roman god Vulcan, the god of fire. A volcano can be active quietly for years releasing molten lava, or sulphur gases (like Kilauea in Hawaii) or can explode violently, like Mount Vesuvius (which destroyed the ancient city of Pompeii) or  Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano which has grounded all air traffic in Europe.

To learn more about volcanoes click here and go to Weather Wiz Kids.

These are wonders of our planet. Unpredictable and awesome.

Take a look at some interesting images of volcanoes, with a catchy little song.

Enjoy.