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Vent
Vents are openings in the Earth's crust from which
magma and volcanic
gases escape onto the ground or into the atmosphere. Vents may
consist of a single, circular-shaped structure, a large elongated
fissure and fracture,
or a tiny ground crack. The release of volcanic gases and the
eruption of molten rock result in a wide assortment of edifices,
ranging from enormous shield volcanoes and
calderas to
fumaroles and small
hornitos.
Left: Steam rises from a vent on Mount Asahidake, a volcano
on Hokkaido, Japan.
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