Teaching about Hazards in Geoscience

Topical Resources

What kinds of activities and strategies do you use to address volcanic hazards?

1. Syrup lava flows and Viscosity (exercise is on SERC site)

2. Trash can eruption (Karen Harpp experiment)

3. Sand Cinder Cone (Steve Mattox demo)

4. Watch and discuss IAVCEI hazards video and USGS Pinatubo video

Strategies:

1. Personal photographs and anecdotal stories.

2. YouTube and Nationalgeographic.com videos.

3. Homework assignments.

4. In-class lecture and discussion.

Activities:

1. Hands-on rock samples in class coupled with a discussion the eruption processes and dynamics that produced them (i.e. what is the viscosity and composition of an andesitic vs. a basaltic eruption? What are the hazards associated with each?).

2. I place images of various locations and/or maps/Google Earth and ask the students to interpret what the see and what potential hazards exist.

3. Homework assignments.

4. Online readings.

I have assigned small groups of students in an introductory classes USGS volcano hazards fact sheets to read. Students read and discuss the fact sheet in their small group, asking me for info as needed, then depending on my learning goals for the class I either have the small groups give a 2-3 minute summary presentation or I have them "jigsaw" into group such that 1 member from each of the small groups is now in another group. Then I'll pose questions to the recombined groups that require them to apply what they learned from the volcano fact sheets.

http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/publications/factsheets.php
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/coursedesign/tutorial/jigsaw.html

Besides powerpoints and lecture:
* "In the Path of a Killer Volcano" video
* Various video clips
* Viscosity exercise in lab with honey, peanut butter etc (Thanks to Leeann Srogi)
* Lab using parts of the actual "Seattle All Hazards Mitigation Plan" to address hazard maps and policy.

This post was edited by David Wilson on Feb, 2020
I use the videos Volcano Watchers and the follow up Volcanoes(not sure of the title)? They both tell stories about Maurice and Katia Krafft, the second about their death at Mt Uzen via pyroclastic flow. Touching, but pointed about the hazards of being a vulcanologist.
I also use USGS virtual field trip of northern cascades www.nature.nps.gov/geology/usgsnps/noca/nocaft.html