Volcanoes: Earth's Shattering Eruptions

Overview

Molten rock, heated to 2,000 degrees, flowing ominously down a hillside. Fountains of lava spraying 1,500 feet above a crater. A mountain obliterated in a matter of minutes. Erupting volcanoes have the savage beauty of earth's primal forces in action, but they also have an awesome, deadly power a power that is not always expected. VOLCANOES looks at three of the most famous volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, very different incidents that demonstrate the wide variety of forms that volcanoes can take.