A volcano is an opening in the Earth’s crust that allows hot ash, lava, and gases to escape through the hole. Volcanoes are usually located in places where the tectonic plates are diverging or converging.
So, then what makes a volcano erupt ? Natural radioactive decay that occurs within the Earth causes pressure that affects the magma in a volcano. Although the concentration of these radioactive elements is not significant, it becomes more significant when you consider the volume of the Earth. Since the Earth is extremely large, a large amount of heat is produced from the radioactive decay. This heat causes more magma to melt. Since magma has a lower density, it then travels towards the surface.
