Lesson 3 Making and Mapping a Volcano
Modeling Volcanoes on Earth and Io.
Volcanism is one of the major geologic processes on Earth and on Io. Volcanoes on Io look very much like those on Earth. The process is different when comparing the source of heat and chemical composition. The heat source for volcanism on Earth is radioactive decay, while the heat source on Io is tidal heating. Shield, calderas hot spots, and plume volcanoes are common to both Earth and Io. The focus of this activity is on the progressions of lava flows produced by multiple eruptions over time representing a shield volcano. The lava flows are modeled by using vinegar, baking soda, and color play dough. As eruptions occur, new lava flows (vinegar and baking soda) will be indicated with different colors of play dough. The younger flows overlay the older ones. The student will track where the flows travel, make a play dough model, and interpret the stratigraphy. This is a popular model used in the classrooms throughout the educational community. They must model one volcano from Earth and one from Io.The following procedure is a modified version of volcano modeling taken from NASA Education model. (NASA: Education Model, 1994). The students may choose some other model if preferred. The students may use on-line services to learn how to construct volcanoes.
Objective
To model Solar System volcanoes. To interpret the nature of Solar System volcanoes.
Vocabulary
Lava, shield volcanoes, composite volcanoes, cinder cones, calderas, plumes, hot spots, Io, stratigraphy, eruption, magma, lava flows.
Materials
1 paper cup 4 oz, baking soda ¼ cup, 1 spoon, vinegar ½ cup, play dough (red, yellow, black, white, blue, and green ), large square pan, cardboard for pan, pen, markers, paper
Procedure:
- Take one paper cup that has been cut to a height of 2.5 cm and secure it onto the cardboard. This short cup is your eruption source and the cardboard is the original land surface.
- Mark the directions North, South, East, and West on the edges of the cardboard.
- Place one heaping spoonful of baking soda in the short cup. Adjust the amount of baking soda and vinegar (in step 5) to create more volume and height for Io volcanoes.
- Set aside 4 balls of play dough, each in a different color.
- Slowly pour a small amount of vinegar into your source cup and watch the eruption of simulated lava.
- When the lava stops, quickly draw around the flow edge with a pencil or marker.
- Wipe up the fluid with paper towels
- Use a thin layer of play dough to cover the entire area where lava flowed. Exact placement is not necessary. Match flow color and play dough.
- On a separate sheet of paper record information about the flow. Indicate color, shape, direction of flow, and thickness. Indicate where this flow is in the sequence; first, second, etc.
- Repeat steps 7-11 for each color of play dough available. Four to six flows show a good example of a shield volcano. (NASA)
Questions
- Look down on your volcano and describe what you see. Make a quick sketch.
- Where is the oldest flow?
- Where is the youngest flow?
- Did the flows always follow the same path? (be specific)
- What do you think influences the path direction of lava flows?
- If you had not watched the eruption, how would you know that there are many different layers of lava?
- Which of the reasons listed in answer 6 could be used to identify real lava layers on Earth and on Io?
- What does the yellow color represent on Io? What type of eruption causes a yellow color?
- What type of eruption produces a white color around the crater on Io?
- What color indicates a plume eruption on Io?
- What geologic processes produce red or black colors on Io's landscape?
- Why are craters smoothed so rapidly on Io.
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