Volcanoes, explained

• Most volcanoes are formed when the boundaries of our planet's tectonic plates collide and overlap, eventually sinking deep inside.
• Many get life by ‘hotspot volcanism’ which is the magmatic activity at the center of the tectonic plate.
• Volcanoes have created the foundation of the land on our planet, crafting mountains, craters, soil beds and eventually making up to 80 percent of our surface.
• About 1500 of them are active as of 2018.

75 percent of the active volcanoes of our planet are around the ring of fire, which is a horseshoe-shaped zone starting from South to North America, then moving towards Japan and New Zealand. Apart from the flowing molten lava, an active volcano produces avalanches of hot rocks, ash and toxic gas through superfast explosions.

The volcanic mudflows, or ‘lahars’ are capable of wiping out entire towns.