Exploding volcano science project: Get Your Little Scientist Thinking Big

There are several different types or stages of eruption. Many eruptions do not cause noticeable damage to the environment. But there are eruptions very powerful and destructive. During such eruptions, lava can pour out and flow down from the volcano, flooding the territories adjacent to it; suffocating clubs of steam, ash, hot gases and stones can fall down, which descend to the ground at high speed, covering it for many kilometers around. (When, for example, Mount Washington’s Mount Saint Helena erupted in 1980, it killed millions of trees.)

One of the most famous and destructive was the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (located in today’s Italy) in 79 AD. As a result, the large Roman city of Pompeii was destroyed. A huge cloud of ash and ashes covered the city, thanks to which it has been well preserved to this day. By studying these amazing ruins, scientists have learned a lot about the times of Ancient Rome. Vesuvius is still an active volcano; this means that volcanic activity is observed in it and eruptions occur from time to time. There are also volcanoes that are described as dormant, which means that they have not been active for a long time, but the conditions for a possible eruption in the future still exist. An extinct volcano is one that will never erupt again.

Volcanoes often occur in places where there are tectonic plates or ridges in the earth’s crust. Around the Pacific Ocean – where the plates of the earth’s crust meet – there is a whole group of volcanoes, which are known as the “ring of fire”. Due to the movement of tectonic plates in these areas, liquid rocks (called magma) trapped in voids inside the Earth can rise, giving rise to volcanic activity. (This also often causes earthquakes.) Volcanic activity can occur both on land and in the oceans. As a result, islands sometimes form in the oceans. This is how the Hawaiian Islands appeared about 40 million years ago. And even today, two of the most active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilaua, are on an island in Hawaii. Tourists visiting the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park can walk along the slopes surrounding the great volcanoes.

There are mountain volcanoes, and there are also underwater volcanoes, which are completely hidden under water. “Waking up”, such volcanoes spew not only magma, but also entire fountains of water.

There are mud volcanoes that erupt streams of hot mud, and lake volcanoes. The craters of such volcanoes look like a flat plate filled with boiling lava.

But why do volcanoes erupt anyway? In the depths of the earth’s crust, at very high temperatures, rocks melt – magma is formed. Under the influence of the movement of tectonic plates, magma rises to the surface of the earth and accumulates in a volcanic chamber under the volcano. The gases that make up the magma tend to exit to the surface – to the crater, and raise the magma behind them. The closer to the crater, the more gases there are, the magma changes its composition and turns into lava. Volcanic eruptions begin with emissions of gases and volcanic ash. Explosions can also occur, then volcanic bombs fly out of the vent into the air – pieces of solidified lava, and then molten lava flows down the slope. After a violent eruption process, the pressure in the magma chamber decreases and the volcanic eruption stops.

Famous volcanoes.

Vesuvius.

An active volcano in southern Italy, about 15 km from Naples. Height – 1281 meters. The crater is about 750 m in diameter. One of the three active volcanoes in Italy, the only active volcano in continental Europe. It is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

The last historical eruption of Mount Vesuvius occurred in 1944. One of the lava flows destroyed the cities of San Sebastiano and Massa. During the eruption, 57 people died. The height of the lava fountain from the central crater reached 800 m.

Fujiyama.

A volcano on the Japanese island of Honshu, 150 kilometers west of Tokyo. The height of the mountain is 3776 m (the highest in Japan). The volcano is weakly active, the last eruption was in 1707.

Krakatau.

Krakatau is a former island and an active volcano in Indonesia, located in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra.
The study of the volcano and surrounding areas has established traces of powerful prehistoric eruptions. According to volcanologists, one of the most powerful eruptions occurred in 535. This eruption led to global climatic consequences on Earth, which was noted by scientists who studied the annual rings of ancient trees in different parts of the planet.

2.2 Practical research

In order to see in practice how volcanoes erupt, I conducted several experiments.

Experiment No. 1 “The movement of magma in the bowels of the earth’s crust.” I submerged the chocolate slabs that replaced the tectonic slabs in a colored dough – “magma”. With the help of sticks, he created movement and saw that “magma” seeps into the cracks. Conclusion: under the influence of the movement of tectonic plates, magma can rise to the surface of the earth.

Experience No. 2 “Creating a model of an active volcano at home.” I made a cone out of cardboard. I covered it with plasticine and gave it the color of a volcano. Placed a bottle inside the cone. I filled the bottle with “lava” – a mixture of baking soda, liquid soap and red gouache paint. Filled the “volcano” with vinegar and got an eruption. Conclusion: the gas formed by the action of vinegar on water raises the “lava” upwards and an eruption occurs.

Experience No. 3 “Properties of stones of volcanic origin”. I immersed stones of various rocks in the water. Watching the process, I found out that all stones sink, except for pumice – a stone of volcanic origin. Conclusion: pumice has a porous structure. The pores are filled with air, so the stone does not sink (pores in pumice are formed at the moment of lava solidification, when gases are still escaping).

Conclusion

The hypothesis was not confirmed during the study. The ancient Romans also believed that God is angry, and therefore an eruption occurs – a manifestation of the wrath of God. In fact, the volcano erupts because magma has accumulated in the volcanic chamber and, under the influence of the gas that is part of it, it rises to the top. In the mouth of the volcano, the amount of gas becomes more. The magma turns into lava, reaches the crater and erupts.

Volcanoes are a menacing natural phenomenon. Volcanic eruptions threaten human lives and cause damage to the entire natural environment, so we need to be aware of them, like any natural phenomenon of which we are a part.

References

– Internet resources

http://www.bugaga.ru/interesting/1146713964

– Internet resources

http://zemlyanin.info/samye-vulystnye zemli/

– Internet resources

http://ru.wikipedia.org

– Internet resources

http://www.vseneprostotak.ru/jenciklopedija/vulkany/

Home volcano project | Creative projects and works of students

Head:

Shmykov Nikolai Nikolaevich Samara

As part of a ready-made research project around the world “Home Volcano” , a 3rd grade elementary school student found out what a volcano is, its structure and types, and also why volcanoes erupt. The theoretical information received by the student was tested experimentally.

More about the project:

In the individual children’s research work “Home Volcano” of a 3rd grade elementary school student, a hypothesis was put forward that it is possible that the volcano erupts because some chemical processes are taking place inside the mountain. In order to find out the causes of the volcanic eruption, the schoolgirl turned to reference literature and authoritative scientific sources on a given topic.

Student project in chemistry (world around) “Home volcano” in an accessible form, the definition and characteristics of shield volcanoes and stratovolcanoes, underwater, cone-shaped and mud volcanoes are given, the internal structure of the Earth and the features of chemical processes in the mountain are described. As part of a practical study, a student conducted an experiment with soda and vinegar, on the example of which the principle of a volcanic eruption was considered. The project explains how and when a volcanic eruption can pose a danger to humans.

Contents

Introduction
1. What does the Earth have inside?
2. How do volcanoes appear and what are they like?
3. How do volcanoes erupt?
4. Experience – a volcano of soda and vinegar.
5. Why are volcanic eruptions dangerous or useful?
6. Memo for classmates.
Conclusion

Introduction

In my work, I want to reveal the topic of the influence of volcanoes on the world around us.

The life of people in different countries depends on the activity of volcanoes. Because volcanic eruptions are dangerous natural phenomena. They can cause damage to property and even people’s lives.

Many eruptions do not cause significant damage to the environment. But there are eruptions very powerful and destructive. During such eruptions, lava can pour out and flow down from the volcano, flooding the territories adjacent to it; suffocating clubs of steam, ash, hot gases and stones can fall down, which descend to the ground at high speed, covering it for many kilometers around. (When, for example, Mount Washington’s Mount Saint Helena erupted in 1980, it killed millions of trees.)

I was interested in how volcanoes appear, what gives impetus to a volcanic eruption, and what consequences of an eruption can be felt by a person and the surrounding world.

Hypothesis: Suppose a volcano erupts because some chemical processes are taking place inside the mountain.

Purpose and objective of the project:

1. Find out what a volcano is, its structure and types;
2. Why volcanoes erupt;
3. Understand whether volcanoes can be friends of man;
4. Learn, by experience, about the chemical properties occurring in volcanoes;
5. Create a memo on how to survive a volcanic eruption.

What does the Earth have inside?

In order to understand the nature of volcanoes, you need to know the structure of the Earth.

The earth consists of the following layers:

• the earth’s crust is the upper layer of the earth in which living organisms can exist. The thickness of the earth’s crust can be from 40 to 70 km;
• mantle is a solid layer that is located below the earth’s crust. Its temperature is quite high, but the substance is in a solid state. The thickness of the mantle is about 3,000 km;
• core – the central part of the globe. Its radius is approximately 3,500 km. The core temperature is very high. – A core heated to 4,000 – 5,000 degrees Celsius. It is believed that the core consists mainly of molten metal, presumably iron.

A volcano is a mountain with a very deep hole at its top (crater)

How do volcanoes appear and what are they?

Under the earth’s crust is a special layer under strong pressure, consisting of molten rocks, and it is called magma. If cracks suddenly begin to appear in the earth’s crust, then hills form on the surface of the earth. Magma comes out through them under strong pressure. At the surface of the earth, it begins to break up into red-hot lava, which then solidifies, causing the volcanic mountain to become larger and larger. The emerging volcano becomes such a vulnerable spot on the surface that it erupts volcanic gases onto the surface with great frequency.

Types of volcanoes

Shield: are almost flat – as they are formed by flows of poorly solidified liquid – lava, spreading over thousands of kilometers.

Stratovolcanoes : shaped like a cone, their slopes become steeper with height. They are formed by layers and deposits of solidified lava.

Underwater : Formed at the bottom of the sea, under the influence of water they do not explode, but spread along the ocean floor. The exceptions are volcanoes located at a shallow depth, then a new island can form from the emissions.

Cone-shaped : flat, steep slopes and wide bowl-shaped crater. They rarely go above 300 meters.

Mud volcanoes.

How do volcanoes erupt?

Colder, and therefore rigid, magma often erupts in explosions, throwing huge masses of dust and ash into the air. They appear when light igneous rocks, meeting with oxygen, burn out.

A molten mass of rocks – lava – pours out from the bowels of the Earth onto its surface through a hole.

Hot gases, molten stones and ash can escape from the vent of a volcano.

Volcanic ash scatters for several kilometers.

Volcanic eruption usually starts suddenly, people do not always have time to escape.

Another type of eruption is slow. Such is the volcano Etna, which has been erupting from time to time for 2500 years.

An earthquake often occurs before a volcano erupts. During the eruption, in addition to lava, hot stones, gases, water vapor, and ash fly out of the crater. Their height can reach 5 km.

However, the greatest danger to people is precisely the eruption of lava, which can even melt stones. But a volcanic eruption is not always accompanied by a lava flow.

The volcano can “sleep” for many years, and the eruption lasts from several days to several months.

Soda and Vinegar Volcano Experiment

Vinegar, baking soda and dye can make a real volcanic eruption at home.

1. Take pieces of old plasticine that was in use, divide the plasticine into two parts. From one we make the bottom of the volcano: it must be of sufficient thickness. From the second half we sculpt a hollow cone, the upper hole of which will be the vent of the volcano. We connect both parts tightly so that the interior space is airtight.

2. Place our volcano on a tray, tray or large plate.

3. We fall asleep in a tablespoon of soda and dye. If there is no dye, you can use the juice of red beetroot, however, the lava will not be as bright.

4. Pour a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid into the vent. The volcano is ready to erupt. 1/4 cup of vinegar is poured into its mouth and the volcano woke up!

CONCLUSION: the gas formed during the reaction of acetic acid and soda raises lava 9 « 0258″ up and “ eruption ” occurs.