Phreatic eruption

A phreatic eruption is like when you shake up a bottle of soda really hard and then open it. When a volcano has a phreatic eruption, it's like the soda bottle exploding, but with rocks, ash, and steam instead of soda.

Under the ground near volcanoes, there is a lot of heat and pressure. Sometimes, this can cause water to turn into steam, just like boiling water on the stove. When the steam builds up enough pressure, it can push through the ground and cause an explosion. This explosion can blast rocks, ash, and steam into the air.

Phreatic eruptions can be very dangerous, even though they don't usually involve lava. Rocks and ash can hurt people and damage buildings, and the steam can be very hot and burn things. That's why people who live near volcanoes have to be careful and listen to scientists who study the volcano to know when it might have a phreatic eruption.