Hawaiian Volcano Teaches Kids

Earthquakes Reveal Earth's Crust's Insides 

  Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii last erupted to this magnitude in 1982.  It is erupting now with a vengeance. Although the overflow of the ten calderas is devastating to some land and people of Hawaii’s Big Island, the cracks and flows help children peek inside the Earth’s crust, search for igneous black volcanic rock at home, and inspire science demonstrations.

Background

 Family may have visited Mt. Kilauea. Have they seen the lava move and smelled the sulphur dioxide gas? You Tube has videos. Search engines like Google or Kiddle, and libraries have information. This kind of science is very exciting and dramatic.

  Unlike the picture perfect cone volcanoes with a peak and one bowl shaped caldera, Kilauea is very low with more than ten calderas along its East Rift Zone. The Earth is cracking apart and the magma, melting rock below ground, surfaces and becomes lava.

  A number of chemicals are inside the Earth 

Chemicals Inside Cause Lava, Rumblings

causing huge rumbling explosions, fiery spitting lava, refrigerator size flying rocks, volcanic ash, glass shards and vog, a kind of deadly volcanic smog.  The lava is a melted sticky rock syrup, denser than cement and acting like bull dozers. 

  Some large volcanoes have even cooled the Earth for several years.  It depends on how much sulfur dioxide gas spews into the atmosphere combining with water vapor to make tiny droplets that reflect some sunlight way from the Earth.

 The 2,140 degree Kilauea lava is meeting the Pacific Ocean, the site of the Pacific Ring of Fire. When hot lava meets the cool ocean water, hydrochloric acid steam called laze is formed with tiny glass particles.

   Hawaiians believe Pele, goddess of fire, “She who shapes the  sacred land” is perturbed and shooting lava 330 feet into the air, higher than the tip of the Statue of Liberty. Some earthquakes are reaching 6.9 out of 10 on the Richter seismograph scale.

Make Mt. Kilauea

  You can create your own family safe volcano, earthquake shake and rumble, and explosive noise because you have kids to provide the drama and sound effects.

  Cut out ten 12 x 12 inch pieces of tin foil.  Fold them into 6 inch by 6 inch squares to make them strong. 

Mix Up a Safe Volcano at Home

Shape into 10 deformed cones and place in a cake pan with Lego villages.

  Place about 4 Tablespoons vinegar into the bottom of each and a few drops of dish detergent, orange food coloring, pinch of salt, and mix.   Stir about 2 teaspoons baking soda into the vinegar watch the chemical reaction. Make the exploding sounds and shake the pan. An acid (vinegar) and a base (soda) when mixed will fizz when there is a chemical reaction producing harmless carbon dioxide. Clean up easily with water. Can you stop the flow and save the villages?

For more see grandparentsteachtoo.blogspot.com and wnmufm.org/Learning Through the Seasons.

Photos: Fran Darling, darling fotos