Thursday, March 13, 2008
Super Eruptions and Climate
Over the winter break I had the opportunity to go on a geology tour and visit a volcano. One of the features I witnessed, was the intrusion of dikes into the monzogranite formation of the area. Coming back to school and starting the geology unit for AP Environmental Science got me thinking about the importance of volcanoes and how they effect the environment. While they can be destructive, are there any benefits to the environment? The blog this week asks students to explore short-term and long-term benefits to the environment of volcanic eruptions.
1. What are the characteristics of a volcanic explosion?
2. What are some of the most destructive volcanic explosions in the history of the planet?
3. What is the relationship between volcanoes and climate change throughout history?
4. What are some of the short-term and long-term benefits of a volcanic explosion to the environment? Look at climate, soil, biodiversity, and human agriculture.
5. How did the Toba super eruption effect the evolutionary history of humans?
Mystery of the Megavolcano - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/megavolcano/about.html
* Pay particular attention to the links at the bottom right of this page.
The Genographic Project - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/megavolcano/about.html
* Pay particular attention to human migrations during the time period of the Toba eruption.
USGS Volcano Hazards Monitoring Program - http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/
* Pay particular attention to the Volcano Monitoring link.