51 Random Facts About . . .

Volcanoes

The term “volcano” is from the Latin Volcanus or Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. The Romans first used the term to describe Mt. Etna, a volcanic mountain they believed was the forge of Vulcan.^b
The ancient Greeks thought that the god of Fire, Hephaestus, lived beneath Mt. Etna. The Titan god Prometheus is said to have stolen fire from Hephaestus’s volcano to give to humans.^b
Hundreds of years ago, the Aztecs of Mexico and the people of Nicaragua believed gods lived in lava lakes. They would sacrifice beautiful young girls to these powerful gods.^b
Well into the Middle Ages, many believed volcanoes were entrances into the fiery underworld.^b
During the past 400 years, nearly a quarter of a million people have been killed as a direct result of volcanic eruptions. Indirect aftereffects such as famine, climate change, and disease most likely have tripled that number.^e
Many scientists believe that all the water on the earth was originally vented into the atmosphere by volcanoes.^a

The unique Maelo bird incubates its eggs in warm volcanic soil

A species of bird called a maleo uses heat given out by warm volcanic sand to incubate its large eggs. When the chicks hatch, they burrow their way to the surface of the sand.^c
The most dangerous volcano today is Popocatépetl, nicknamed El Popo, which is just 33 miles from Mexico City. El Popo is still active, sending thousands of tons of gas and ash into the air each year.^d
The myth of the lost city of Atlantis sinking beneath the waves may be based on the Greek island of Santorini, of which portions collapsed into the sea after a large volcanic eruption during the Bronze Age.^b
Volcanologists use a special electric thermometer called a “thermocouple” to take a volcano’s temperature. Lava is so hot that a glass thermometer would melt.^a
There are no active volcanoes in Australia because it sits in the middle of a tectonic plate.^c
Highly volcanic areas have some of the most fertile farmland in the world. Volcanic eruptions bring nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus to the Earth’s soil. The weathering of volcanic rocks also releases nutrients.^c
“Lava” derives from the Latin lavara, meaning “to wash,” and is magma that has erupted at the surface.^e Lava can flow up to speeds of 62 miles per hour.^d
The material ejected from a volcano is called “pyroclastic flow” from the Greek pyro(fire) and I (broken). It includes small fragments of rock, frothy pumice, and large boulders. Pyroclastic flow can reach temperatures of 212° F and can rocket down the side of a mountain at 155 m.p.h.^d
Volcanoes form through subduction (when two tectonic plates smash against each other), mid-oceanic rift (when two plates drift apart), or in a hot spot (a weak spot in one of Earth’s plates).^g

Surtsey, one of Earth's newest islands, was dramatically formed in 1963 by underwater volcanic eruptions

In 1963, an undersea volcano created the newest land mass on Earth, Surtsey Island, which lies off the southwest coast of Iceland. Today Surtsey is about 1 sq. mile and is named after Surt, a fire giant from Norse mythology.^b
The worst volcanic disaster of the twentieth century is considered to be the eruption of Mt. Pelée in 1902 on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean which killed 30,121 people. Only two people survived: a shoemaker living on the edge of the island and a prisoner who had been locked in a dungeon cell with thick stone walls.^h
There are approximately 1,500 active volcanoes, not counting undersea volcanoes. Of these, only about 20-30 erupt in any one year.^g
Volcanologists measure the size of an eruption with the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), with 0 being the weakest and 8 the strongest. Eight is usually reserved for super eruptions, popularly called “supervolcanoes.”^a
The Lake Toba supervolcanic eruption nearly 75,000 years ago in Indonesia plunged earth into a volcanic winter (known as the Millennium Ice Age) and was responsible for the formation of sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.^d

Mount St. Helens is North America's most active volcano

The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 had 500 times the power of an atomic bomb. Geologists considered this a moderate eruption.^h
The Pacific Ring of Fire is the boundary of the large Pacific plate which is slowly subducting under or grinding past other plates. Most of the world’s biggest volcanoes are concentrated here.^b
In A.D. 79, Vesuvius erupted violently, devastating the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Eyewitness accounts of the time, recent excavations, and the preserved remains tell the horrific story of the eruption.^h
In 1660, the people of Naples were shocked to find what looked like little black crosses raining down on them. While they thought it was proof that St. Januarius was looking out for them, the crosses were really twin pyroxene crystals which Mt. Vesuvius spewed out of its crater. Vesuvius last erupted in 1944.^c
New ocean floor is created when two oceanic plates move apart and magma bubbles up to fill the rift. This is called a rift volcano. Through this process, the Atlantic Ocean is widening by 2 cm. per year, and the East Pacific Rise is widening by 20 cm. a year. In 10 million years, the East Pacific Rise will be 1,240 miles wider.^a
Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes and was thought to live in the crater of the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii. She is said to have a terrible temper and will throw lava at anyone who angers her. Some people have been known to send back lava samples they have taken from the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park because of the bad luck they associate with Pele.^h
The three main types of volcano shapes are shield, cinder cone, and stratovolcano. Stratovolcanoes, also called composite volcanoes, are the most common type of volcanoes and often have symmetrical steep slopes. Classic examples include Mount Rainer in Washington State and Mount Fuji in Japan.^a
When the top of a volcano top collapses, it forms a caldera, which is Spanish for “kettle.” The largest caldera is the La Garita Caldera in Colorado which was formed 26-28 million years ago and was one of the largest eruptions—if not the largest—on Earth.^g
About 20% of all volcanoes are under water.^a

The black sand beaches in Iceland and Hawaii are formed by grains of black volcanic glass

Some volcanic islands such as Iceland and Hawaii have black beaches. Their sand is made from basalt, an igneous rock formed when lava cools and has been broken down into sand particles.^b
More than 300 million people (nearly 1 in 20) live in the shadow of active volcanoes, including Mount Vesuvius in Italy, Mount Rainer in the U.S., and Popocatepetl in Mexico.^h
In some volcanic areas such as Iceland, heat energy from magma can be used to warm water and run power plants. This type of energy is called geothermal (earth heat) energy.^b
Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream is thought to show a volcanic sunset caused by the massive eruption of Krakatau in Indonesia in 1883. The blood-red sunset could be seen as far away as Norway, where Munch lived.^h
When Paricutin in Mexico erupted from 1943-1952, no one was killed by ash, rocks, lava, gases, or mud flows, though three people died from being struck by volcanic lightening. Though there were periods of violent explosions, Paricutin mainly dishcharged quiet flows of lava during its continous nine year eruption.^b
In 1943, a Mexican farmer named Dionisio Pulido witnessed the birth of a volcano in his cornfield about 329 kilometers west of Mexico City. It started as a slight depression in his field and soon became a fissure that emitted smoke and hissing noises. During the next nine years, the volcano Paricutin had grown to an elevation of 2,272 meters and its voluminous lava flows had destroyed several towns.^h
The 1815, volcano Tambora in Indonesia was the greatest volcanic eruption observed by humans and killed over 70,000 people. Effects were felt as far as Europe and North America, including prolonged inclement weather which resulted in food riots and the worst famine in the nineteenth century.^h
Tambora’s 1815 massive eruption and its devastating effects are said to have inspired Lord Byron’s gloomy poem “Darkness” (1816) and Mary Shelley’s immortal novelFrankenstein (1818).^h
Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming sits on the site of an ancient supervoclano. It erupted around 2 million years ago, 1.3 million years ago, and 640,000 years ago. If it follows the same pattern, another eruption is due any time now.^c
Japan has 10% of the world’s active volcanoes.^d
Iceland is made up almost entirely of volcanic rocks like those found on the ocean floor. It gradually built up above sea level through intense and prolonged eruptions.^b
In August 1986, a cloud mixture of carbon dioxide and water rose from Lake Nyos, a crater lake in Cameroon (western Africa). The heavy gas cloud flowed downhill and gathered in the valleys, asphyxiating 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock living in the villages below.^d
An acid lake in the crater of Kawah-Idjen in Indonesia absorbs gases rising from the volcano, creating a lake so toxic it can burn through human flesh in minutes.^d
Magma is Latin for “dregs of ointment,” which derives from the Proto Indo-Europeanmag meaning “kneading.” The term “magma” in its geological sense as molten rock was first used in 1865.^e
The earliest known picture of a volcano is the nearly 8,000-year-old wall painting of an eruption of Hasan Dag volcano in Turkey. The houses of a town, Çatalhöyük, can be seen at the mountain’s base.^b
In Japan, “baths” in warm volcanic sand are believed to cure many illnesses.^h

The largest volcano in our solar system is Olympus Mons on Mars

The largest volcano found in the solar system is Olympus Mons on Mars, though it is now extinct.^a
Venus may have at one time produced more volcanoes than any other planet in our solar system, though they are all now extinct.^a
While no other planet besides Earth shows active volcanoes, Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, shows volcanoes that are erupting.^a
The 1883 eruption of Krakatau in Indonesia is thought to have released 200 megatons of energy, the equivalent of 15,000 nuclear bombs. Even though the island was uninhabited, the eruption killed 36,000 people as the result of burning ash showers and huge tsunamis. It generated the loudest sound historically reported.^d
The most lava ever recorded from a single eruption was the 1783 Laki eruption in Iceland. Though there was no single big explosion, this eruption killed one fourth of Iceland’s population by producing poisonous gases and clouds of ash that resulted in widespread crop failure and starvation.^d
In January 2009, scientists from the Alaska volcano observatory warned that Mt. Redoubt, a peak just 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, could erupt anytime. Mt Redoubt last erupted in 1989, shooting ash high into the jetstream, causing engine failure in a KLM jet carrying 231 passengers. The plane dropped more than 2 miles before the crew could restart the engines.^f

-- Posted January 30, 2009. Updated September 23, 2010.

References

^a Armstrong, Lynn and Nancy Harris. Eds. 2003. Volcanoes. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press.

^b Claybourne, Anna. 2007. Volcanoes. Boston, MA: Kingfisher Publications.

^c Gates, Alexander E, and David Ritchie. 2007. Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes. 3rd Ed. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing.

^d McGuire, Bill. 2002. Raging Planet: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and the Tectonic Threat to Life on Earth. Hauppage, NY: Quarto Inc.

^e Etymology Online. “Online Etymological Dictionary.” Accessed: January 20, 2009.

^f Joling, Dan. "Alaskans Brace for Redoubt Volcano Eruption." Yahoo News. January 30, 2009. Accessed: January 30, 2009.

^g Rothery, David A. 2007. Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis. Blacklick, OH: McGraw-Hill.

^h Zeilinga de Boer, Jelle and Donald Theodore Sanders. 2002. Volcanoes in Human History: The Far Reaching Effects of Major Eruptions. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University

46 Interesting Facts About . . .

Mexico

The official name of Mexico is Estados Únidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States).^d
A Mexican tamale called the zacahuil is three feet long and weighs about 150 pounds.^c
Mexico introduced chocolate, corn, and chilies to the world.^f
Mexico is home to a very rare rabbit called the volcano rabbit which lives near Mexican volcanoes.^c
The largest wildcat in North America is the jaguar, which can be found in Mexico's southern jungles.^c
The first printing press in North America was used in Mexico City in 1539.^c
The National University of Mexico was founded in 1551 by Charles V of Spain and is the oldest university in North America.^d
Millions of monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico every year from the U.S. and Canada, though logging operations are rapidly destroying their habitat.^d

The poinsettia is named after the first American ambassador to Mexico

The border between Mexico and the United States is the second largest border in the world (only the U.S.-Canadian border is longer).^c
Mexico is second only to Brazil in the number of Catholic citizens.^c
The red poinsettia (which the Aztecs called cuetlaxochitl) originated in Mexico and is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States ambassador to Mexico (in the 1820s).^d
Mexican children do not receive presents on Christmas Day. They receive gifts on January 6, the day on which Mexicans celebrate the arrival of the Three Wise Men.^f
Mexico is located in the “Ring of Fire,” one of the earth’s most violent earthquake and volcano zones.^d
Mexico City is built over the ruins of a great Aztec city, Tenochtitlán. Because it is built on a lake, Mexico is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year as pumps draw water out for the city’s growing population.^f
Mexico’s flag is made up three vertical stripes. The left green stripe stand for hope, the middle white stripe represents purity, and the right red stripe represents the blood of the Mexican people. The picture of an eagle eating a snake is based on an Aztec legend (see fact #25).^f

Chihuahuas are named after a Mexican state

The Chihuahua is the world’s smallest dog and is named for a Mexican state.^c
Mexico’s size is 756,066 square miles, which is almost three times larger than Texas.^h
Only ten countries in the world have a larger population than Mexico’s 109,955,400 million people.^h
Mexico City has the highest elevation and is oldest city in North America. It is also one of the largest cities in the world.^d
Mexico is the 14th largest country in the world by total area.^d
Modern Mexicans are a unique blend of many ancient civilizations, including the Olmec, Zapotec, Toltec, Maya, Aztec, Inca, African, French, and Spanish.^f
The first great civilization in Mexico were the Olmecs (1400-300 B.C.) who established many cities along the eastern coast of Mexico, sculpted the famous Colossal Heads, and worshipped a mysterious, unnamed god that was part human and part jaguar.^b
The Zapotec civilization (600 B.C.-A.D. 800) established great cities along southern Mexico and developed the first writing system in the Americas.^b
One unusual Mayan weapon was a “hornet bomb,” which was an actual hornet’s nest thrown at enemies during battle.^f

The symbols on the Mexican flag are based in Aztec mythology

In the fourteenth century, a group of Chichmecas (warrior nomads) called the Aztecs (or Mexicas) settled in Mexico when they saw an eagle (representing the sun) standing on a cactus (a symbol of the heart) clutching a snake (a symbol of the earth or Quetzalcoatl)—an image which is now depicted on the Mexican flag.^f
Snakes appear repeatedly in Mexican mythology, from the serpent god Kukulcan which can be found the side of the Chichen Itza pyramid to the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl.^c
The Aztecs adopted human sacrifice from earlier cultures (such as the Olmecs) because they believed the universe would come to an end and the sun would cease to move without human blood. There are many ancient statues of gods sticking out their tongues, such as Huitzilopochtli, which may be a sacred gesture that suggests their thirst for blood.^a
During an Aztec human sacrifice, five priests, sometimes with their faces painted with different colors, held the sacrificial victims’ arms and legs. The heart, referred to as “precious eagle cactus fruit,” was cut from the live victim and burned on a fire in the temple.^a
Shells and stones on the Aztecs' ritual blades symbolized the faces of the gods for which the sacrificial hearts were intended. They would sacrifice between 10,000 to 50,000 victims per year. Under the rule of Montezuma II, 12,000 victims were sacrificed in one day.^a
The Aztecs played ritual ball game known as tlachtli in which the losers were often sacrificed to the gods.^a
When Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortés arrived in 1519, the Aztecs believed he was their returning god, Quetzalcoatl, and offered him the drink of the gods: hot chocolate.^f
The descendants of the Aztecs speak a form of the Aztec language called Nahuatl. Many of its words, particularly for types of food, passed into English...such as tomatoes (tomatl), chocolate (chocolatl), and avocados (ahuacatl).^c
Hernan Cortés had a native mistress and able translator Marina (La Malinche). She gave birth to his first son, who is considered the first mestizo (Indian-Spanish).^g
About 60% of the modern Mexican population is mestizo (Indian-Spanish), 30% is Indian or predominately Indian, 9% is Caucasian, and 1% is other.^f
Creoles are descendants of the Spanish people who first arrived in Mexico. Now they are the name of Mexico's small population: Caucasian Europeans, Americans, and Canadians.^f
Mexico remained under Spanish control for nearly 300 years until the Mexican people, led by a priest named Father Hidalgo, rose up against the Spanish on September 16, 1810. Hidalgo is widely considered the father of modern Mexico, and Mexican Independence is celebrated on September 15-16.^f

Spanish Conquistadors introduced bullfighting to Mexico

Spanish conquerors brought bullfighting to Mexico, which is now the national sport of Mexico. Bullfighting takes place from November to April, and the Plaza Mexico is the largest bullring in the world.^f
While bullfighting is Mexico's national sport, fútbol (soccer in the U.S.) is currently more popular.^d
Even though over 50 native tongues are still spoken in rural locations, Spanish is the national language of Mexico. In fact, Mexico is the most populated Spanish-speaking country in the world.^c
Texas was a Mexican province which declared its independence from Mexico in 1836, resulting in war with the United States (1836-1838).^e
In 1910, under the guidance of Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa, Mexican peasants revolted against the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz to gain equality and land. The civil war lasted 10 years and took the lives over 1 million people.^e
Before 1958, women could not vote in presidential elections. Women, however, did play an important role in the 1910 revolution, serving as spies, arms smugglers, andsoldaderas or soldiers.^e
In 1994, a group of Mexican peasants and farmers called the Zapatistas (named after Emiliano Zapata) started another revolt to highlight the differences between the rich and poor.^e
The North Atlantic Free Trade Association (NAFTA) was created in 1994 to encourage trade among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. But NAFTA has largely failed to lift Mexico out of poverty due to Mexico's repeated economic crises, a weak public education system, government corruption, and Mexico's inability to enforce the rule of law.^c
Actor Anthony Quinn was the first Mexican to win an Academy Award for his role in the 1952 movies Viva Zapata.^e
The Chichen Itza Pyramid in Mexico was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.^c

-- Posted November 25, 2008. Updated January 19, 2009.

References

^a Ackroyd, Peter. 2004. Cities of Blood: Voyages Through Time. New York, NY: DK Publishing.

^b Bernal, Ignatio. 1968. 3000 Years of Art and Life in Mexico. Trans. Carolyn B. Czitrom. New York, NY: Henry N. Adams, Inc.

^c Cobb, Allan B. 2004. Mexico: A Primary Source Cultural Guide. New York, NY: PowerPlus Books.

^d Goodwin, William. 1999. Mexico. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books.

^e Gruzinski, Serge. 2001. Images at War: Mexico from Columbus to Blade Runner (1492-2019). Trans. Heather MacLean. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

^f Kalman, Bobbie. 2002. Mexico the People. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company.

^g Merrell, Floyd. 2003. The Mexicans: A Sense of Culture. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

^h The World Fact Book: Mexico. November 20, 2008. Accessed: November 25, 2008.

History