When volcanoes form or erupt, they change the landscape around them, and even the weather and climate!
- Volcanic Islands: these islands are formed when an underwater volcano erupts. As it erupts, the lava around it builds up and creates an island (“Volcanic
Islands”, 2013). These islands are permanent unless destroyed by newer volcanic activity or by something else (earthquake,...).
- Changes in the weather: when volcanoes erupt, they release huge amounts of gases that impact the climate by reducing the amount of solar radiation that reaches the earth (“Causes
of Millennial-Scale Climate change”, 2012). It lowers the temperature and changes the atmospheric circulation patterns (“Causes
of Millennial-Scale Climate change”, 2012). The change on the climate usually lasts 5 years but it can last longer if, for example, a chain of volcanoes erupt (“Causes
of Millennial-Scale Climate change”, 2012).
- Changes on the surface: when volcanoes erupt, they change the landscape with the lava. First, it becomes more fertile, the lava can create a new layer of sediment on the ground, and it can also change the shape of the volcano. It also affects the landscape by burning trees and creating a barren land.