A volcanic explosion can spew rocks into the air at up to 1200km/h and toss a large boulders like pebbles. The results may be devastating. When Indonesia's Tambora volcano exploded in 1815, for example, it killed over 10,000 people. Then the ash falling from the sky piled so thick that it ruined crops, and more than 80,000 people perished from famine and disease. The gases and dust emitted into the atmosphere brought the year without summer as far away as the northeastern United States. It can takes 10,000 years for molten rock to work it's way to earth's surface, but once it does, volcano building can surprisingly rapid.
Volcanic power can also be a force for good. Many millennia ago the condensation of volcanic gases helped form our oceans, making human life possible. When volcanic ash weathers, it forms a rich, loamy soil, which provides the crops to support that life. And volcanic steam is used to generate power and heat homes, while volcanic rocks often contain precious minerals such as gold.
Looking heavenwards we can view the lava plains of the moon, the vast Olympus Mons volcano on Mars and the still active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io, and feel the wonder and the power of our volcanic universe.
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