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Central cone volcano erupting with glowing lava flows, ash cloud, volcanic lightning and other volcanoes on the horizon
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NatureMedium

Volcanoes of the World

Vesuvius buried Pompeii in 79 AD. Krakatoa exploded in 1883, its blast heard as far as Australia. Eyjafjallajokull grounded European flights in 2010. Test your volcanoes.

15

Questions

2

Minutes

Tip: Use keys 1-4 to answer quickly

The 15 quiz questions

Question 1 : Which volcano destroyed the city of Pompeii in 79 AD?

Possible answers:

  • Mount Vesuvius
  • Vulcano
  • Stromboli
  • Mount Etna

Explanation: Mount Vesuvius, located near Naples in Italy, buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under a rain of ash and pumice.

Question 2 : What is the largest active volcano in the world by volume?

Possible answers:

  • Mount Fuji
  • Mauna Loa
  • Piton de la Fournaise
  • Mount Kilimanjaro

Explanation: Mauna Loa in Hawaii is the largest active volcano, with a volume of about 75,000 km³ and an altitude of 4,169 m.

Question 3 : Which volcano's eruption in 1883 was heard over 4,000 km away?

Possible answers:

  • Mount Pinatubo
  • Mount Tambora
  • Mount St. Helens
  • Krakatoa

Explanation: The eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia was so powerful that the sound was heard as far as Australia. It caused more than 36,000 deaths.

Question 4 : What is the name of the volcanic zone that surrounds the Pacific Ocean?

Possible answers:

  • The Magmatic Ring
  • The Ring of Fire
  • The Lava Circle
  • The Volcanic Arc

Explanation: The Pacific Ring of Fire contains more than 450 volcanoes, representing 75% of the world's active volcanoes.

Question 5 : Which Icelandic volcano paralyzed European air traffic in 2010?

Possible answers:

  • Hekla
  • Grímsvötn
  • Eyjafjallajökull
  • Katla

Explanation: Eyjafjallajökull disrupted air traffic for several weeks, its ash cloud forcing the cancellation of thousands of flights.

Question 6 : What is the altitude of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest peak?

Possible answers:

  • 3 542 mètres
  • 3 776 mètres
  • 4 102 mètres
  • 4 478 mètres

Explanation: Mount Fuji rises to 3,776 meters. Dormant since its last eruption in 1707, it is a sacred symbol of Japan and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.

Question 7 : What is magma called once it reaches the surface?

Possible answers:

  • Basite
  • Pyroclast
  • Lava
  • Obsidian

Explanation: Magma becomes lava when it exits the volcano. The term "magma" refers to molten rock beneath the Earth's surface.

Question 8 : On which French island is the Piton de la Fournaise located?

Possible answers:

  • Martinique
  • Réunion
  • Guadeloupe
  • Mayotte

Explanation: Piton de la Fournaise is located on Réunion Island. It is one of the most active volcanoes in the world with frequent eruptions.

Question 9 : What is the name of the large circular depression formed after a volcano collapses?

Possible answers:

  • A chimney
  • A caldera
  • A dome
  • A crater

Explanation: A caldera forms when the magma chamber empties during an eruption, causing the summit to collapse.

Question 10 : What is the most active volcano in Europe?

Possible answers:

  • Stromboli
  • Mount Vesuvius
  • Mount Etna
  • Mount Teide

Explanation: Mount Etna, located in Sicily (Italy), is the largest and most active volcano in Europe, with almost continuous activity since antiquity.

Question 11 : In what year did the famous Mount St. Helens eruption occur in the United States?

Possible answers:

  • 1975
  • 1980
  • 1986
  • 1991

Explanation: The eruption of May 18, 1980 was cataclysmic: the north flank collapsed, creating the largest debris avalanche in recorded history.

Question 12 : What type of volcano has a typical cone shape formed by alternating lava flows and ash deposits?

Possible answers:

  • Volcan bouclier
  • Volcan fissural
  • Stratovolcan
  • Cône de scories

Explanation: Stratovolcanoes (or composite volcanoes) are the most dangerous. Examples: Vesuvius, Fuji, Pinatubo.

Question 13 : Which American national park contains a supervolcano whose last major eruption occurred 640,000 years ago?

Possible answers:

  • Glacier
  • Yosemite
  • Grand Canyon
  • Yellowstone

Explanation: Yellowstone has a caldera measuring 55 x 72 km. A future eruption could have planetary consequences.

Question 14 : Which eruption in 1815 caused "the year without a summer" in 1816?

Possible answers:

  • Santorini
  • Mount Vesuvius
  • Krakatoa
  • Mount Tambora

Explanation: The eruption of Tambora in Indonesia was the most powerful in modern history, ejecting ash that darkened skies worldwide.

Question 15 : Which Hawaiian volcano has been in near-continuous eruption since 1983?

Possible answers:

  • Kilauea
  • Mauna Kea
  • Hualalai
  • Mauna Loa

Explanation: Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Its 2018 eruption destroyed more than 700 homes.

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