I need to explain to my son the formation, growth and eruption of volcanoes. I need to explain to my son the formation, growth and eruption of volcanoes. He has a school project and he needs to explain something about volcanoes. Armando Romero Mariscal Guasp Dear Armando, The Earth has volcanoes because it is hot inside. In some places it is hot enough to turn solid rock into liquid rock.
Geologists call the liquid rock magma.
If the magma reaches the surface it is called lava and lava accumulates to make a volcano. Volcanoes grow by intrusion and extrusion. This way the volcano grows on the inside. An extrusion is an eruption. It can add layers of lava or ash.