Explained: What is a volcano? How does it erupt?

How do volcanoes erupt: Congo's Mount Nyiragongo has erupted after twenty years.Its last eruption, in January 2002, killed more than a hundred people and covered a large part of Gona city with lava. (NEWS18 creative)

What is a Volcano: An opening in the earth's crust through which lava, volcanic ash, and gases escape. In other words, it is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. (NEWS18 creative)

How do volcanoes erupt: Deep within the earth it is so hot that some rocks slowly melt and become a thick flowing substance called magma. (NEWS18 creative)

Why do some volcanoes explode: Not all volcanoes are similar. Some volcanic eruptions are explosive and others are not. (NEWS18 creative)

Can we predict volcanic eruptions: Some warning signs help scientists evaluate the state of the volcano when magma is building. (NEWS 18 creative)

The largest eruption in history: 1815 explosion of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, where around 10,000 people were estimated to have died because of direct and indirect impacts of the eruption. (NEWS18 creative)

The largest eruption in history: Explosion of Mount Tambora.