A volcano is a place on the Earth's surface where molten rock,
gases and pyroclastic debris erupt through the earth's crust. Volcanoes vary quite a bit in their structure, some are cracks in the earth's crust where lava erupts, and some are domes, shields, or mountain structures with a crater at the summit. Magma is molten rock within the Earth's crust. When magma erupts through the earth's surface it is called lava. Lava can be: thick and slow; or thin and fast. Volcanic eruptions can cause great damage and the loss of life and property.