The Volcano Island Mystery
Twins Jade and Jonah discover how a brand-new island was born.
Jade and Jonah pressed their faces to the boat window. Ahead, rising out of the sea, was a black, rocky island with a thin line of steam drifting from its peak.
"That island wasn't on the old maps," said their aunt, Dr. Marisol, a volcanologist — a scientist who studies volcanoes. "It's only a few years old!"
"How can an island be new?" asked Jonah.
Dr. Marisol explained as they sailed closer. "Deep under the Earth's crust, it's so hot that rock melts into a thick, glowing liquid called magma."
"Sometimes magma pushes up through cracks in the ocean floor. When it comes out, it's called lava. The lava cools in the water and hardens into new rock."
"Eruption after eruption, layer after layer, the rock piles up higher and higher, until one day — it pokes out of the ocean. A new island is born!"
The twins stepped onto the black sand beach. It crunched under their boots. "This sand is made of tiny bits of cooled lava," said Dr. Marisol.
Jade spotted something green between two rocks. "Look! A little plant!"
"Now that's the real mystery," said Dr. Marisol, kneeling down. "How did a plant get here, to an island that's only a few years old?"
The twins thought hard. "Maybe a bird dropped a seed," said Jade. "Or the wind blew it," said Jonah. "Or it floated here on the waves!"
"All three are right," smiled their aunt. "Seeds travel by wind, water and wings. Over hundreds of years, this island will fill with plants, insects and birds."
As they sailed away, the twins looked back at the steaming island. "It's like watching the Earth grow," Jade whispered.
⭐ The End ⭐
💬 Talk about it
- What is magma called when it comes out of a volcano?
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Lava. - How can a volcano make a new island?
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Lava cools and piles up in layers until it rises above the ocean. - Name three ways seeds can travel to a new island.
Show answer
Wind, water and birds (wings).
