A popular volcano demonstration in grade school science class – mixing vinegar and baking soda in a clay model of a volcano – may rivet students’ attention as it spews bubbly liquid over a tabletop. But it comes up short in explaining all the ways that volcanoes form and evolve. So Rutgers geologists and education specialists have created three new demos to better depict forces that build up volcanic mountains, and in some cases, cause them to literally blow their tops.
These new methods still captivate kids, while giving them a better foundation for studying earth science in high school. The demos have been among the most popular on the Rutgers Science Explorer bus, a hands-on science outreach program that travels to middle schools around the state.
One uses a slurry of sand and water in a bottle connected by hose to the bottom of a plastic box. When the student lifts the bottle and the slurry starts to flow, the sand forms a crater on the box floor that distinctly resembles a volcanic cinder cone. Besides showing how volcanoes can first form on flat land, it also demonstrates how a lot of pressure causes explosive eruptions while less pressure yields more serene lava and ash flows.
The other demonstrations show how ash can travel thousands of miles from the site of an eruption and how volcanic debris settles in layers. The Rutgers team described its demonstrations at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America last month.
Ian Saginor, doctoral student in geological sciences in New Brunswick/Piscataway, led the team that included Michael Carr, professor of geological sciences and Kathy Scott, professor of cell biology and neuroscience who also directs the university’s Math and Science Learning Center. The presentation was part of a session on improving the understanding of geologic concepts in classes from kindergarten through high school.