In her book "Volcanoes," Trudi Strain Trueit tells her readers that May 18, 1980, was the day most Americans came to really understand what volcanoes were all about. Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted, and Trueit says, "That was the morning the sleeping giant awoke." In putting together a report about volcanoes, writers will want to give the same kind of answers Americans sought when they witnessed this modern volcanic eruption.
Instructions
1. Define the word volcano by talking first about its connection to Vulcan, the Roman god of fire. Then give a current definition, such as that from the American Heritage Dictionary: "An opening in the earth's crust through which molten lava, ash and gases are ejected." Give a brief overview of how people explained volcanoes in the past, starting with the Ancient Greek views that explained volcanic activity as acts of the gods.
2. Explain how volcanoes form. Talk about the fact that the mantle, located between the earth's core and crust, is a solid layer of rock that actually flows. If possible, prepare a diagram showing this configuration. Go on to say how sometimes the melting rock along with heat and gases comes to the top and how this can result in an eruption. Give an explanation of exactly how this happens; discuss magma and lava.
3. Write a section of your report on the types of volcanoes. You will want to divide this into three parts so that you can define active, dormant and extinct volcanoes. You might start with an interesting piece of information such as the fact that an active volcano is considered one that has erupted some time in the last 10,000 years.
4. Devote the next section to a discussion of famous volcanoes. You might want to start by talking about the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 and the other active U.S. volcanoes, particularly Mauna Loa and Kilauea on the island of Hawaii. Worldwide you would probably want to include Mount Vesuvius in Italy and Mount Fuji in Japan.
5. End your report with a discussion of the kind of damage volcanoes cause--some eruptions have wiped out entire towns--and the newest efforts to predict eruptions as a way to save lives. You might want to specifically discuss the activities at the U.S. Geological Survey, where scientists are doing research on lessen the impact of volcanic damage.
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