Lesson Y8-U01-L04

How Volcanoes Form and Erupt Quiz: KS3 Geography, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y8-U01-L04, How Volcanoes Form and Erupt: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 Geography (National Curriculum), Unit 7: Year 8: Restless Earth: Tectonic Hazards, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What term describes molten rock located beneath the Earth's surface?

    • Ash
    • Lava
    • Magma
    • Basalt

  2. What is molten rock called once it flows onto the Earth's surface?

    • Lava
    • Crust
    • Mantle
    • Magma

  3. What is the central pipe inside a volcano called?

    • Fissure
    • Vent
    • Magma chamber
    • Crater

  4. Where is a large pool of magma stored deep underground?

    • Volcanic vent
    • Tectonic plate
    • Summit crater
    • Magma chamber

  5. What property of a liquid measures how thick and sticky it is?

    • Pressure
    • Volume
    • Density
    • Viscosity

  6. What is the bowl-shaped opening at the summit of a volcano called?

    • Chamber
    • Shelf
    • Crater
    • Vent

  7. Roughly how hot is the mantle just below the crust?

    • Around 10°C
    • Over 1,000°C
    • Around 100°C
    • Around 50°C

  8. Which volcano in Italy is given as an example, with magma rising up a central vent?

    • Mount Fuji
    • Mount Everest
    • Mount Etna
    • Ben Nevis

  9. Where does magma first collect before rising up the volcanic vent?

    • Subduction zone
    • Magma chamber
    • Mantle plume
    • Crater rim

  10. Which eruption type is produced by runny, low-viscosity magma?

    • Gentle lava flows
    • Pyroclastic surges
    • Explosive ash clouds
    • Violent explosions

  11. What causes sticky magma to erupt so violently?

    • Trapped gas pressure
    • Excess water
    • Cooling underground
    • Rapid melting

  12. What property of magma caused the explosive blast at Mount St Helens?

    • Low viscosity
    • High viscosity
    • Low temperature
    • High density

  13. Why does magma rise upwards through the Earth's crust?

    • It is less dense
    • It is completely solid
    • It is more dense
    • Gravity pulls it up

  14. What term describes molten rock once it reaches the Earth's surface?

    • Mantle
    • Magma
    • Lava
    • Crust

  15. Which process produces the seismic tremors detected before a volcanic eruption?

    • Plate subduction
    • Magma cracking rock
    • Cooling lava
    • Heavy rainfall

  16. Name the underground pool where magma collects before rising up a volcano.

    • Crater
    • Magma chamber
    • Vent
    • Secondary cone

  17. Why do destructive plate boundaries often produce explosive volcanoes?

    • Cold mantle rock
    • Sticky melted plate
    • Runny basalt lava
    • Thin ocean crust

  18. Why do volcanic eruptions in Iceland typically produce gentle lava flows?

    • High gas pressure
    • Sticky acidic magma
    • Thick continental crust
    • Runny low-viscosity magma

  19. Which monitoring sign best indicates an imminent volcanic eruption?

    • Rising sea levels
    • Falling temperatures
    • Earthquake tremors
    • Heavy rainfall

  20. What causes two nearby volcanoes to have completely different eruption styles?

    • Magma composition
    • Identical age
    • Same elevation
    • Equal height

All KS3 Geography quizzes