In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientists search for carbonized remains of plants preserved in lava flows to find out how long it has taken rain forests on Hawaii to regenerate after a volcanic eruption.
Students are asked to explain how lava is involved in the rock cycle.
This interactive activity from NOVA Online shows four different ways in which caves are formed: by rainwater, waves, lava, and bacteria.
In this Nature video, follow geologists as they retrieve samples from a fresh batch of Kilauea's molten lava.
In this video segment adapted from NOVA, scientist Mike Garcia draws lava samples at the foot of the active Kilauea volcano to see if it is related to its neighboring volcano, Mauna Loa.
This activity guide illustrates how teachers can use planetary comparisons between Earth and Mars to teach basic geologic activities - i.e. volcanoes, impact cratering, layering, river processes, and crosscutting relationships to help the students understand a planet's history. This lesson is using current science results, as it contains actual orbital data from the Mars Global Surveyor mission. The lessons in this activity are aligned to the National Science Education Standards and help students to sharpen core skills such as observation, synthesis, and analysis processes.
Students observe an in-classroom visual representation of a volcanic eruption. The water-powered volcano demonstration is made in advance, using sand, hoses and a water balloon, representing the main components of all volcanoes. During the activity, students observe, measure and sketch the volcano, seeing how its behavior provides engineers with indicators used to predict an eruption.
This interactive resource adapted from The Virtual Lava Tube by Dave Bunnell, presents images of different features found in lava tube caves and includes detailed information on how these features are formed and where they occur.
Students learn about the causes, composition and types of volcanoes. They begin with an overview of the Earth's interior and how volcanoes form. Once students know about how a volcano functions, they learn how engineers predict eruptions. In a class demonstration, students watch and measure a mock volcanic eruption and observe the phases of an eruption, seeing how a volcano gets its shape and provides us with clues to predict a blast.
In this segment from Nature, Scientists travel to the top of Mount Kilauea to collect molten lava samples for testing.
