Fumarole

volcano · geology · hot gases

Gases without solids. Unlike lava flows, fumaroles release only hot gases and vapors through Earth's crust, with no rocks or liquids coming out. It's like Earth is breathing out steam from deep underground.

Late-stage volcanoes. Fumaroles usually show up when a volcano is winding down its activity, but sometimes they appear before an eruption starts. Scientists actually watch fumaroles to predict when a volcano might erupt.

Short or super long. Most fumaroles disappear within days or weeks after a volcano stops erupting, but some stubborn ones keep going for decades. A group of fumaroles together is called a fumarole field.

Extremely hot vents. The gases shooting out of fumaroles are scorching hot from the magma far below Earth's surface. This heat makes the gases rise up and escape through cracks in the ground.

Found on other worlds. Fumaroles don't just happen on Earth, they show up on other planets and moons too. Any rocky world with heat underneath can have fumaroles if it has cracks in its surface.