Volcano Facts

The Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples believed powerful gods dwelled within volcanoes. To appease these deities, they performed human sacrifices—sometimes throwing victims directly into volcanic craters.

A volcano has enough power to shoot ash as high as 50 km into the atmosphere.

Olympus Mons on Mars is the tallest volcano in the Solar System, standing approximately 13.6 miles (22 km) high. It is nearly 2.5 times the height of Mount Everest.

In 1974, prankster Porky Bickar was so into April Fools, he flew hundreds of tires into a dormant volcano in Alaska and set them on fire - fooling the local populace and coast guard into thinking the volcano was active.