Volcanoes both harass and help mankind. As dramatically demonstrated by the Mount St. Helens on May 1980 Volcanic materials ultimately bread down to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which fostered and sustained civilizations. People use volcanic substances as construction materials, as abrasive and cleaning agents, and as raw materials for many chemical and industrial uses. The internal heat associated with some young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal …showed first 75 words of 1050 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1050 total…the physical breakdown and chemical weathering of volcanic rocks have formed some of the most fertile soils on Earth. Some of the earliest civilizations for example, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman settled on the rich, fertile volcanic soils in the Mediterranean-Aegean region. Some of the best rice-growing regions of Indonesia are in the shadow of active volcanoes. Similarly, many prime agricultural regions in the western United States have fertile soils wholly or largely of volcanic origin.