11 Truly Explosive Volcano Coloring Pages
Volcanoes are awesome, right? Even just the name elicits fiery images in the imagination and a mix of terror and excitement. A few powerful fire quotes may even come to mind. But what’s in a name? The word “volcano” comes from the Roman name “Vulcan.” Yeah, like the Star Trek race. Vulcan was, obviously, the Roman god of fire from Roman mythology. Fitting, eh? It might also interest you to know not all volcanoes look like the mountainous volcanoes in (among other places) Hawaii. All that truly defines a volcano is its hole, which vents the hot magma and gas sitting just under the Earth’s surface. How much do you know about volcanoes? We thought we knew it all. Yet, it turns out there’s still plenty to learn. So, we created a collection of volcano coloring pages to encourage safe and full-of-fun exploration of these openings in Earth’s crust.
Just like there is a lot to learn about volcanoes, there is also a ton kiddos can learn from coloring. Coloring teaches all kinds of super necessary skills helpful in starting and succeeding in school. During this activity, your child practices everything from hand-eye coordination to self-control and self-regulation. In other words, coloring offers so much more than just cute art to hang on the refrigerator.
And if your little one genuinely enjoys coloring, pretty pictures abound. We especially love our whale coloring pages and wolf coloring pages. Once everyone’s all colored out, keep the volcano-themed fun going with fire puns and jokes. But first, let’s start right here with volcano coloring pages filled with interesting facts!
Before we dive on in, here are some volcano terms any future geologist should know:
- Magma — molten rock under the Earth’s surface. Think of it as lava before it explodes.
- Lava — magma that has erupted out and broken through the Earth’s surface.
- Volcano — a vent or opening on the surface of the Earth through which magma and gasses make their way out of the Earth’s crust.
- Fissure — a small crack in the ground that allows magma to erupt onto the surface.
Free Printable Volcano Coloring Pages
Volcano No. 1
When you live in places like Florida or Ohio, volcanoes seem really far away. You may not even know anyone who has seen a volcano. In reality, a lot of people live near volcanoes. An estimated 350 million humans reside within a volcano’s danger zone, or the path an eruption is likely to flow.
Volcano No. 2
In America alone, there are 169 “active” volcanoes. According to the American Geosciences Institute, most American volcanoes exist in Alaska. However, the most active volcano in the world is Hawaii’s volcano Kilauea. Since 1983, Kilauea has erupted nearly constantly.
Volcano No. 3
There are also tons of underwater volcanoes — many we haven’t even discovered yet! As well as underwater volcanoes, there are roughly 1500 potentially active volcanoes total worldwide. Scientists estimate about one-third of those have erupted in just the last century.
Volcano No. 4
Of course, there are also dormant volcanoes. Volcanoes classify as dormant if they haven’t erupted in thousands of years. However, that doesn’t mean they’ll never erupt again. Recently, a “dormant” volcano in Reykjavik, Iceland, erupted. What makes that so surprising? Researchers and historians believe it had been at least 6,000 years since its last eruption.
Volcano No. 5
One of America’s most fascinating volcanoes is the Yellowstone Caldera. It’s both a “volcanic caldera” and a “supervolcano.” A volcanic caldera looks much different than a regular volcano. It’s made into a sinkhole-like “crater” when it erupts, empties its magma chamber, and effectively collapses on itself. Researchers believe the Yellowstone Caldera occurred at the super-eruptions of three close volcanoes during the last 2.8 million years.
Volcano No. 6
The highest active volcano in the world sits on the border between Chile and Argentina. It’s called Nevado Ojos del Salado and is 22,615 feet tall. Wowza, that’s a big one!
Volcano No. 7
Not only is it the highest volcano, but Nevado Ojos del Salado is also the second tallest mountain in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Nevado Ojos del Salado classifies as a stratovolcano, meaning it’s a regular conical volcano with a steep profile built up with many layers of hardened lava.
Volcano No. 8
This coloring page depicts Mt. Fuji in Japan, which is amazingly three volcanoes in one! Despite having not erupted since 1707, it’s still considered an active volcano and a sacred part of the Japanese landscape.
Volcano No. 9
While there’s a bit of debate on classifications and subclassifications, there are roughly nine types of volcanoes: stratovolcanoes/composite volcanoes, submarine volcanoes, lava domes, shield volcanoes, cinder cone volcanoes, spatter cone volcanoes, cryptodomes, supervolcanoes, and complex/compound volcanoes. Each type received its name for the way it looks and how it formed.
Volcano No. 10
Remember Kilauea in Hawaii? It’s one of five volcanoes that, together, make up the big island of Hawaii. It’s also the most active. Think you’ll ever visit Kilauea? We’re adding it to our travel bucket list.
Volcano No. 11
Although these volcanoes live in the same area, each one is unique and erupts differently. When some flare up, you may not hear anything, but there are some volcanoes that are so loud it can cause hearing loss! The noise is so deafening it’s been compared to the sound of an explosion. And did you know volcanoes can grow very quickly? In 1943, a cinder cone in a Mexican cornfield grew 1,102.36 feet tall a year later. In 1952, it had reached 1,391.08 feet.
Click here to print all of the volcano coloring pages at once!
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