(MUSIC)
JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST:

THE EARTH'S CRUST IS MADE
UP OF A NUMBER OF TECTONIC

PLATES.

VOLCANOES ARE TYPICALLY LOCATED
WHERE THOSE PLATES MEET.

THREE QUARTERS OF ALL ERUPTIONS
HAPPEN UNDERNEATH THE OCEAN

WHERE THE OCEAN'S PLATES ARE
SPREADING APART.

THE TALLEST VOLCANO ON EARTH IS
HAWAII'S MAUNA KEA AT OVER FOUR

THOUSAND METERS.

IF YOU MEASURED IT FROM ITS BASE
UNDER THE OCEAN TO ITS PEAK, ITS

HEIGHT IS MORE THAN 10 THOUSAND
METERS.

THAT'S HIGHER THAN MOUNT
EVEREST!

BUT THE TALLEST VOLCANO IN THE
SOLAR SYSTEM ISN'T ON EARTH.

IT'S ON MARS.

OLYMPUS MONS IS 16 MILES HIGH
AND 374 MILES ACROSS.

IT'S SO BIG; IT WOULD COMPLETELY
COVER THE STATE OF ARIZONA.

BACK ON EARTH, IF YOU WANT TO
AVOID VOLCANOES, YOU HAVE TO GO

TO AUSTRALIA.

THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE NO
ACTIVE VOLCANOES THERE BECAUSE

AUSTRALIA SITS IN THE MIDDLE OF
A TECTONIC PLATE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
VOLCANOES, CHECK OUT THE SCIENCE

TREK WEBSITE.

YOU'LL FIND IT AT
IDAHOPTV.ORG/SCIENCE TREK