Volcanoes have fascinated and frightened people for centuries. In the past, some people came to worship volcanoes. The word itself comes from Volcanus, the Latin name of the Roman god of fire.
The World Book Encyclopedia states that a volcano is "an aperture on the surface of the earth": "This aperture caused the rock to heat up so much that it became liquid or gaseous. This rock that melted deep into the earth is called magma." . Extremely hot magma chambers are located 20 to 400 km below the earth's surface. When magma is pressed against the ceiling in a chamber, gases are released. When they reach weak points in the earth's crust, these gases create a passage or "conduit" that eventually reaches the surface.
When it reaches the earth's surface, the magma cools to "lava". It escapes through an opening in the crust and floats over the volcanic craters. "From time to time," notes the reference work quoted above, "the opening is clogged with cooling magma." This in turn increases the gas pressure so that the sealing material explodes. "
Guatemala is known for its volcanoes; There are more than thirty-three in this Central American country. A person traveling from southern Mexico to Guatemala City can see one volcanic peak after another that looks like a majestic mountain range. But most of Guatemala's volcanoes are now dormant.
Among the assets is Santiaguito. This volcano originated in the late 19th century and grew together with a larger parent volcano. An old woman who witnessed Santiaguito's birth recalls that "first they spit out pumice and fine sand like ash and cover everything close to several meters deep." It is still necessary to dig several meters into the pumice. and the sand to reach the ancient earth for planting coffee trees near Santiaguito.
Another active volcano in Guatemala is Pacaya, which has erupted several times in several years. A witness from Pacaya, who "does his thing", as he put it, said: "It seems that the fire is coming from above." Several burning streams running down the mountain look like fingers dipped in phosphorescent paint and glow in the dark. "
The most violent volcano in Guatemala is Fuego, which means "fire" in Spanish. On October 13, 1974, the people of Guatemala City stood in open spaces and on rooftops to witness Fogo's eruption, a truly terrifying sight. They saw the appearance of flames that threw thousands of meters high. They also saw lightning strikes the volcano from a clear sky, a phenomenon associated with volcanic eruptions for centuries. The enormous volume of sand that Fire expelled partially covered and destroyed the cotton fields and sesame fields.
Did you know that the "flames" that jump up in the sky when a volcano erupts are mostly normal fire? Flames are usually caused by the combustion of combustible materials, which release substances that react with oxygen in the air. However, most "flames" in volcanoes do not come from combustion. Instead, they are rays of glowing particles formed by molten lava. When lava escapes from the high-pressure environment deep inside the volcano and enters normal atmospheric pressure, explosive gases push these particles upwards and cause them to burst like flames. The particles then cool and solidify into dense pumice clouds that settle on the landscape and destroy the crop.
Volcanic gases consist mainly of steam. Sometimes carbon dioxide and nitrogen are the main components. These gases may contain hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen and carbon monoxide in minor amounts. Interestingly, only sulfur, hydrogen and carbon monoxide are combustible. These small contributors are therefore responsible for the only real flames in volcanic eruptions.
Many people can be inclined to look at volcanoes with fear, as they sometimes cause severe loss of life and property. But volcanoes have also benefited humans. Volcanic vapor has been lost to generate heat and electricity. The hot springs are used for medical, laundry and bathing purposes. Lava can be used as a building material. Pumice stone is a popular abrasive and polish. And lava beds, because they are porous and allow the accumulation of fresh water, are important sources of water. Many are the advantages of the incredible volcano for man ...
