Volcanoes are the only direct route we have from the surface into the Earth's interior. We look at why some erupt as gentle rivers of lava while others detonate with the force of nuclear weapons, what actually drives an eruption, and how a single volcano can change the global climate for years.

You'll come away understanding why magma composition determines everything, what a supervolcano really is, and why the deadliest volcanic hazard is usually not the lava.

Talking Science is sponsored by Kinsoft. Visit www.kinsoft.com.au

Further reading: Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program; USGS Volcano Hazards Program; Geoscience Australia.