NASA 360: Hawaii, Volcanos, Making Oxygen from Lunar Soil

October 27th, 2009
NASAeClips asked:

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In episode 8, NASA 360 learns how to make breathable oxygen and drinkable water from lunar soil, visits amazing observatories and discovers how NASA monitors volcanos.

RANDELL

What are the type of eruptions like at the santorini volcano?

October 27th, 2009
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Maria asked:


Located in greece.

Is it medium, quiet or explosive?
Is it spitting and spattering, lava flows or explosions?

ABRAHAM

Lego Science Project: Volcanos

October 27th, 2009
kosh1990 asked:

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I **** making posters, so for my 9th grade science project I made a lego movie. It was so much fun ^.^ Though the special effects for this movie are really basic (with favorite traditionals such as backing powder and vinegar) it is still better than a poster! My science teacher was also my french teacher, so I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and put the science and the french together! It helped that the volcano was on a french speaking island. Entertaining and informative, please …

WILEY

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park- A Beautiful Destination Indeed

October 25th, 2009
Jawahn R Thompson asked:


When most people think of HAVO, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to HAVO than just the basics.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to HAVO than you may have first thought.

Hawaii is a beautiful vacation destination. It makes for either a quiet and mild vacation consisting of countless hours lying on a beach or wildly active vacation sure to please event the most avid thrill seekers. What thrill seeking vacation would be complete without exploring Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HAVO). The national park occupies a vast array of terrain ranging from tropical beaches to the sub arctic Mauna Loa summit. The huge park has two active volcanoes.

Kilauea Caldera is the youngest and most active volcano on earth. The landscaping is amazing complete with hardened lava and dozens of craters. The park has 140 miles of hiking trails and is open to the public for camping. The park is over 333,000 acres of land so plan to stay a while if you truly want to explore the park. If you don’t have a lot of time, you should plan to at least drive through the park. It is worth the hour or so that it will take you to see everything. The volcano erupts regularly, so in most cases you will get to see some sort of lava flow. However, don’t expect to see eruptions spewing into the sky like in the movies. The flow is fluid and constant, not nearly as dramatic as Hollywood depicts.

The terrain changes so frequently due to the ever changing lava flow that it makes it difficult to follow maps, however the most up to date versions will be available at the visitor’s center. The map can be used for driving as well as hiking. The park has a hotline that tells you what is happening with the volcanoes that day and where to best view the lava flow.

Unlike the rest of Hawaii the weather can change very quickly in the park. The temperatures can be about 15 degrees cooler here than in Kona, so plan to dress appropriately. The park can have blistering heat from the sun’s reflection off of the lava flow. It can be hot and steamy one minute and change to a chilly downpour of rain with little or no warning.

If planning to visit the volcanoes you should be prepared and dress appropriately. Wear hiking shoes or boots; bring sunscreen and lots of water. The heat can cause dehydration quickly so be prepared with lots of fluids because this little nuisance is preventable. Always follow the signs and stay on the trails. Fatalities do happen here at HAVO. The most common are due to people wandering off and getting lost in the park and people getting too close to newly formed lava paths. These lava flows can collapse causing injuries, or even worse death.

If and when the lava reaches the ocean, sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid permeate the air. These gases are toxic. Every one should be careful, especially pregnant women, young children and people with upper respiratory problems. The smell of sulfur is strong in the air.

Whether it’s magnificent hiking trails you seek, or simply marking visiting a volcano off of your to do list, HAVO is sure to please.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about HAVO into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about HAVO, and that’s time well spent.



MICHAEL

Can we seal the Yellowstone volcano from exploding?

October 24th, 2009
andreibrebe asked:


Can we seal the Yellowstone volcano from exploding?
Even if it will explode in 100.000 years, and im not from the USA, we must all put our minds to it and stop it from affecting the world and killing millions of people.
Our ideeas can save lives, so put your thinking caps on this one.

ROY

Hawaii’s Living Volcanoes–Exploring Life in the Caldera of Fire

October 24th, 2009
Bob Freer asked:


Hawaii volcanoes are known as “shield” volcanoes, gently sloping mountains produced from a lot of very wet, fast-moving lava flows. Each Hawaiian island is made up of at least one primary volcano.

When you move along the island chain from the south, where volcanoes are active, to the northwest part of the chain, the volcanoes become older–and less active. The active volcanoes erupt a type of rock known as basalt. When in a “molten” state, basalt produces the fluid lava that you see running down mountains and valleys.

The Big Island of Hawaii is home to five major volcanoes: Kilauea, Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea, Hualalai and Kohala. Mauna Loa is considered the largest active volcano on earth, even though it has not erupted since 1984. But Kilauea, home of the Hawaii Vocanoes National Park, is the most active volcano in terms of how much lava it erupts each year, and the place most visitors come to see volcanic action.

Ancient Hawaiians believed that Kilauea was the physical manifestation of the fury of the mountain goddess, Pele. Kilauea has added 550 acres of coastal land since eruptions began in 1983. (To visualize how large this is, imagine that this is enough to fill more than 200 million dump trucks!). Hot rivers of molten orange lava, flowing downhill can be seen most any evening of the year.

Hawaii Vocanoes National Park, two hour’s drive from Kona and five hours from Kohala on the Big Island, can be the highlight of any vacation. Open year round, one can explore the many aspects of Kilauea volcano. Much of the best hiking on the Big Island is found within this park. And a visit to the park will give you an up-close view of a volcano.

The Park, open 24 hours a day, is sometimes referred to as the “drive-in” volcano since it can be easily viewed by car. Even if you don’t experience lava flows when you visit, there is much to see. Lava craters, giant chasms, vents spewing steam, lava tubes (or caves) and Hawaiian petroglyphs can all be experienced here. The Visitor’s Center at the Kilauea Caldera is located at 4,000 feet. Here you can find books, videos and other information about the park.

Crater Rim Drive, which circles the volcano, has many interesting viewpoints and jumping off points for short hikes. Also within the park is the Jagger Museum and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Be sure to bing your camera, water, food and extra clothes, especially if you are staying in the area after sunset.

One can easily spend a day or two exploring Kilauea, so give yourself enough time to really experience the rare phenomenon of a live volcano.

In addition to Kilauea volcano, two other volcanic mountains on the Big Island, Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea are prominent. They stand more than 13,500 feet high and have frequent snowstorms during the winter. Mauna Kea even has year-round snow fields near its pinnacle. Imagine being able to ski in Hawaii!

If your time on the Big Island is short and you would like to take a look at Kilauea volcano, consider a helicopter tour. Since you can’t really “see” the mountain from anywhere else on the island, a helicopter tour is a good way to view the volcanic activity. Helicopter tour operators can be found in Hilo and the Kohala resort areas.

When planning your Hawaii adventure, be sure include some time at the amazing Kilauea Volcano, for an “other worldly” view of life on our planet.



BENNETT

What are the pros and cons of living near a volcano?

October 23rd, 2009
? [JPA] ? MissSnape ? [ART] ? asked:


I really need to know this info sometime tonight- preferably before 10pm as I need to hand it in tomorrow morning.
i reli need this info-in detail- or my science treacher will murder me(she is very capable of this crime evn though I am taller than her cuz she is short) but anyway I’m desprate. Plz give me all info possible- no links!

IRA

Visit The Amazing Hawaiian Volcanoes

October 23rd, 2009
Jon Kelly asked:


Hawaiian holidays are often seen as a holiday of a lifetime and if you want have the most spectacular views to add to your holiday memories then the volcanoes are a must to visit. Hawaii is a growing group of islands as a result of the volcano action; it is also the youngest inhabited land mass.

Kilauea is the most active and famous in Hawaii’s volcanic history. It has an elevation of four thousand feet about sea level. It last erupted in 1983 and is sacred to the islanders. The people of Hawaii believe that this is the home of Pele, the goddess of fire. They also believe that she is permanently at war with her sister, who is the goddess of the sea. This is part of the islanders’ beliefs, and explains the relationship the Hawaiian culture nurtures between its inhabitants, the sea and the land.

In Hawaii there is a National Park for volcano watching. Anyone can go and stay there. It is a great place for camping and hiking and has unpredictable weather and a moist humid atmosphere, which in turn creates a fertile land and an amazing flourishing environment for many different types of wildlife. The weather at the top of Kilauea can be as much as fifteen degrees cooler than at the bottom of the volcano. The extraordinary climate and environment created by the volcanoes allows for the thriving community of creatures, such as the carnivorous caterpillars and the happy face spiders. An astounding fact is that ninety per cent of the native terrestrial fauna and flora are found only on the Hawaiian Islands! In an effort to maintain and protect this unique ecosystem the Hawaiian authorities have organized for alien plants, animals and insects to be removed from the environment in fear that they may unbalance the islands ecosystem and kill off some of the rarest living organisms in the world.

If you want to see the volcanoes and understand their importance in the formation of the Hawaiian Islands then perhaps you should consider one of the available helicopter tours. These helicopter tours are usually available via your hotel, or if you would prefer you can book before you even leave home, hence ensuring that you are guaranteed your spot and will not miss the experience.

Volcanic fumes can be hazardous and if you have any health concerns relating to heart or lung, it is worth checking if you will be at risk when visiting a volcanic site. It is also not advisable for small children or pregnant women to inhale volcanic fumes. If you are avoiding the fumes you can still visit much of the volcanoes, the fumes are only present in certain areas of the islands, so check first with the tour you have booked.

Volcanic eruptions can happen at any time and it is important to always follow the instructions of your guide. If you are keen to see the lava, there are lava viewing opportunities which can be organized through the Kilauea visitors centre, as these areas change all the time and the safety of each area is monitored by the park it is essential that you follow there guidelines and never enter areas which are currently closed to the public.



DARIUS

What are 15 volcano’s that have been active within the last 100 years and i need its exact location?

October 22nd, 2009
Christian Gil asked:


I need the exact location (longitude and latitude).But round it, instead of 104.238 do 104 because i need a close location.

JERROD

When did the last super volcano erupt in the American continent?

October 21st, 2009
BODIN asked:


cretionists say the world is 10000 years old. is there evidence of a billions year old earth in super volcanoes. would their dust still be covering the where it landed if it was within the last 10,000 years?

JUAN