Annenberg Learner: Volcanoes: Can We Predict Volcanic Eruption

To be or not to be — is the question really that simple? According to the classic quantum mechanical model ... well, maybe! Explore the nature of event prediction and probability in a short, animated video. Young physicists...

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How scientists can predict volcanic eruptions.

[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] How scientists can predict volcanic eruptions.

A look at some of the methods and problems with forecasting volcanic eruptions.

This media-rich essay from NOVA Online describes the challenges of forecasting volcanic eruptions and includes information about specific cases.

This video segment adapted from NOVA relates the dramatic story of vulcanologists trying to predict the timing of the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. Essay and discussion questions as well as related links follow.

This interactive from Annenberg Learner asks the question of whether erumptions of volcanoes can be predicted. Review what you already know about volcanoes, and move on to forecasting potential. Several short video clips are included as...

A full-featured investigation of volcanoes that answers questions about our ability to predict eruptions. Site begins with a review of the fundamentals (defines lava, magma, and related terms and describes how volcanoes form) and then...

This interactive resource adapted from the National Park Service illustrates the difference between explosive and effusive volcanic eruptions, as well as the hazards that can result, including lahars, tsunamis, and lava flows.

This video segment adapted from NOVA features footage of the aftermath of the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines. The largest volcanic eruption in 80 years deposited tons of ash on the towns, which caused devastating mudflows.