Volcanoes are mighty mountains

Volcanoes are evidence of the remarkable journey of molten rock, which begins miles (kilometers) beneath our feet. What happens on magma’s ascent determines whether it erupts explosively (like Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980), oozes lava (like Mount St. Helens during its 2004–2008 dome-building event), or cools and crystallizes underground, never to erupt at all.

Like a volcano, your visible exterior doesn’t show important parts of your identity that are hidden deep inside. This activity pairs magma’s trek to the surface with self-reflection to explore how personal motivations and challenges shape us, just as magma shapes volcanoes, and volcanoes transform landscapes.