Volcanoes can form at any point where the crust is weak. They mostly form along boundaries of Earth’s plates because that is where the rocks tend to be under stress. 1. Divergent boundaries 2. Convergent boundaries 3. Hot spots

1. Divergent boundaries (mid ocean ridges) lava flows from the gap left by the oceanic crust being pulled apart, and also as continental crust is pulled apart (along rift valleys)

2. Convergent boundaries - as one plate sinks below the other, it melts and the magma rises through the crust. This forms volcanic mountains along coastlines or forms island arcs in the oceans.

3. Hot Spots – weak spots in the middle of plates where magma is able to erupt onto the surface (Hawaii and Yellowstone are examples in the U.S.A. )

The “Ring of Fire” is the name given to the pattern formed by most of Earth’s volcanoes. It is located around the edges of the Pacific plate