Volcanic plug facts for kids
A volcanic plug is a landform created when volcanic magma hardens inside a vent on an active volcano. They are sometimes called volcanic necks or puys. The plug is revealed when surrounding land is eroded.
As it forms, a plug may cause an extreme build-up of pressure if gas-charged magma is trapped beneath it. This sometimes leads to an explosive eruption. But if the explosion does not occur, then the volcano becomes a solid block made of hard material.
The plug is usually harder than the surrounding rock. Glacial erosion can lead to exposure of the plug on one side, while a long slope of material remains on the lee side. Such landforms are called crag and tail. If a plug is preserved, erosion may remove the surrounding rock while the erosion-resistant plug remains. This is what produces the distinctive upstanding landform.
Related pages
Images for kids
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An aerial view of the Gros Piton and Petit Piton, in St. Lucia, 2006.
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Volcanic plug near Rhumsiki, Cameroon.
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Roque Bentayga from the town of Artenara
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Taung Kalat, Burma.
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Strombolicchio Island and its lighthouse, close to Stromboli Island (Aeolian Islands, Italy).
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Roque Nublo, symbol of Gran Canaria island.
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Slemish, a volcanic plug in Northern Ireland, is traditionally associated with St Patrick.
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Trosky Castle ("Panna" Tower), Czech Republic.
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Devils Tower, Wyoming, USA.
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Shiprock, New Mexico, USA.
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St. Paul's Rock, above Whangaroa Harbour, Northland, New Zealand.
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Dent de la Rancune, a challenging climbing site in the Chaîne des Puys, France.
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See also
In Spanish: Cuello volcánico para niños
