This map shows the location of the volcanoes we use in the game, relative to the world’s tectonic plates. We have also indicated the direction of motion of the plates. Where the volcano is near a zone where the two plates are moving towards one another this is because one is moving underneath the other. Melt is generated at depth and can rise to the surface to produce ‘subduction-related’ volcanoes. When the plates are moving apart the magma wells up into the crest, adding new material. The third type occurs when there is a zone of anomalous melting in the middle of the plates. These are called ‘intra-plate’ volcanoes, you may also see them referred to as ‘hot spot’ volcanoes.

Yasur is one of the most charismatic volcanoes in the world, with a history of repeated strombolian and vulcanian explosions that have been continuing for centuries. Nonetheless we’ve shown you the date of the last known eruption for the volcanoes we’ve featured in ‘ Our Volcanoes‘. Devastation Potential:An index to reflect the possiblehavoc if a maximum eruption happened now (0 to 1000). Here at Volcano Top Trumps HQ, we wanted to come up with an exciting category that described a volcano’s potential for devastation. Some of our volcanoes, in particular the more explosive ones, haven’t erupted for a while. Other volcanoes, such as Mount Etnahaven’t had really big eruptions for a while either. In the mean time, towns and cities have grown in their shadows, and countries have become more and more dependent on infrastructure (like airports, roads, water and power supplies) which could be vulnerable to volcanic hazards. Seeing a volcano erupt is a truly awesome sight, but there are some volcanoes you wouldn’t want to be standing too close to when they do. In fact, with some, you wouldn’t want to be standing anywhere near when they explode. So volcanologists have developed a scale that helps them measure just how explosive they are! No two volcanoes are completely alike. They can vary in the size and style of their eruptions. Some eruptions can go on for days, months or even years. Some can be over in a matter of minutes. Even at the same volcano, no two eruptions are completely alike. You can find a useful description of the different kinds of eruption at volcano world. Nonetheless, some volcanoes (like Yasur) erupt in pretty much the same way each time, and some can have a much bigger variation between eruptions (like Vesuvius). In our unpredictability category, we wanted to explore this.

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Deadliness– 100. Cotopaxi’s frequent eruptions combined with its capacity to bury anything in the path of its lahars do mean tht it has claimed lives during past actvity. This also makes it one of the best monitored volcanoes in South America, the first permanent seismic station dedicated to monitoring a volcano was installed near Cotopaxi in 1976. Explosivity (Volcanic Explosivity Index) – 4. Mayon has frequent, moderately explosive eruptions, and is the most active volcano in the Philippines. In recent years activity has included the eruption of lava flows, and explosions from the summit crater at the top of the volcano. Find out the devastation potential for Etna, unpredictability of Mount St. Helens and the wow factor of Stromboli in this edition of Top Trumps - Volcanoes

Explosivity (Volcanic Explosivity Index) – 6. Cotopaxi is capable of generating relatively large explosive eruptions, compounded by the fact that this activity will melt or even destroy its ice cap, generating rapid flows of water and volcanic debris downs its valleys, called lahars. Deadliness: An index made from the recorded deaths as a direct result of that volcano’s activity ( 0 to 1000) Height– 1978 m. Tongariro, and its close neighbour Ngauruhoe (2287 m) haven’t reached the lofty heights of either Ruapehu (2797 m) or Taranaki (2518 m), but its still a great place for a hike.

Fun Fact– many people have speculated that Santorini might be the location of the lost city of Atlantis, a ficti0nal island first mentioned by Plato. Wow factor– 93. Mayon is a classically conical volcano, which stands proud from the countryside around. Unpredictability:An index created from the range and frequency of different sizes of activity at that volcano (0 to 100). A big challenge for volcanologists is being able to predict when a volcano is going to erupt, what it is going to do when it erupts, and how long it will be before it stops again. All of these factors contribute to a volcano’s unpredictability. The eruption of Mt St. Helens of May 18, 1980 was an iconic moment in the modern study of active volcanoes. It was the first major eruption within the ‘contiguous’ United States since the eruption of Mt Lassen, California, in 1915; the build-up to the eruption was watched from around the world, and the eruption itself happened during daylight and was caught on film and cameras from many angles. The eruption itself was also destructive in ways that hadn’t been anticipated, as the first stages of the eruption directed huge amounts of debris sideways, rather than upwards, leaving a remarkable horse-shoe shaped crater and hundreds of square kilometres of destruction in its wake. For an even better way to find EYFS resources, discover tailored suggestions, and much more - visit the EYFS resource HUB! GO TO EYFS HUB