How Do Volcanoes Affect the Lithosphere?

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Volcanoes have a positive effect on the lithosphere; the buried materials, burnt trees and plants caused by the flow of lava help in fertilizing the soil, increasing its nutritive content. The Earth’s lithosphere is made of different structures, such as rocks, plants and reefs, all of which are vulnerable to destruction during eruptions.

A volcanic eruption is a process by which molten rocks and hot gases are pushed through the Earth’s crust from a volcanic mountain. Volcanic eruptions usually occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates. The plates are either pulled apart or together, which then break and change the state of the layers. Magma, which is the mixture of molten rocks and hot dissolved gases, moves to the surface of the earth and is called lava.

The crust and the top layer of the mantle is referred to as the lithosphere. In the lithosphere, volcanic eruptions can form new rocks or destroy existing organisms. Although the sources of the volcanoes are deep within the layers of the Earth, volcanoes can erupt to the Earth’s surface and bring major calamities. Huge amounts of burning matter, such as ash and soot, are thrown in the environment due to volcanoes. As a result, organisms are buried while trees and plants are burnt down.