Volcanic eruption explained - Steven Anderson
2,076,783 Views
17,381 Questions Answered
Let’s Begin…
In February of 1942, Mexican farmer Dionisio Pulido thought he heard thunder coming from his cornfield. However, the sound wasn’t coming from the sky. The source was a large, smoking crack emitting gas and ejecting rocks, and would come to be known as the volcano Paricutin. Where do new volcanoes like this come from, and what triggers their unpredictable eruption? Steven Anderson investigates.
Our nearby planetary neighbor Mars has the largest volcanoes in the solar system, even though it is a very small planet compared to Earth. In fact, the largest of the volcanoes on Mars (Olympus Mons) is larger than the state of Arizona and is nearly 90,000’ tall! Can you think of some reasons why volcanoes on this small planet might be so much larger than those on Earth?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Steven Anderson
- Director Odirlei Seixas, Felipe Grosso, Fábio Vianna (In Memorian)
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Storyboard Artist Felipe Grosso
- Animator Sarah Zattar, Kelvin Lima, Renato Nogueira Cavalher
- Art Director Victor Goularte
- Sound Designer Júlio Muzzi - Astrolábio Studio
- Music Júlio Muzzi - Astrolábio Studio
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal, Dan Kwartler
- Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Script Editor Alex Gendler
- Fact-Checker Eden Girma