This is a lecture segment that can be used or adapted for use in an undergraduate geoscience class. The goal of the lecture is to familiarize students with the concept of volcanic change through time at time scale commensurate to plate tectonic evolution.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Students write an original work of fiction that includes aspects of the eruptive behavior of stratovolcanoes and the types of hazards that accompany stratovolcano eruptions. These aspects may appear as plot elements, or setting, or in some other fashion. Students must include background information other than their textbooks and must include references.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Before completing this computer-based activity, students need to learn basic (Earth Science 101) information about volcanic rocks and hazards, and they also need to learn how to interpret a histogram. Students complete the activity individually outside class time in a computer lab equipped with Arcview3.3 geographic information system (GIS) software. They do not need any prior experience with GIS because the activity text includes step-by-step instructions accompanied by numerous screen shots. Students use the GIS to investigate geochemical data from the global GEOROC database and, for the Mount Hood, Oregon area, the NAVDAT database. Students also use maps and satellite images to learn about volcanic hazards at Mount Hood. Through all of these investigations, they learn about the connections between the silica content of a melt, volcanic hazards, and plate tectonics. Hundreds of students have successfully completed the activity at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN, but the activity is still considered a "beta test copy" and the author welcomes feedback. Funding has been provided by small grants from the NASA Earth Observing System Higher Education Alliance ("GeoBrain"), Tennessee Space Grant, and NSF.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Volcano distribution and tectonics at a convergent margin: Central American volcanoes

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

The identification of clay mineral assemblages in soils provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate how basic principles of petrology and geochemistry are applied to engineering design criteria in construction site preparation. Specifically, the problem investigates the conditions leading to the formation of smectite in soils and the resulting construction risk due to soil expansion. Students examine soils developed on igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks near Denver, Colorado. The field locations are areas of suburban growth and several have expansive soil problems. The 2-week exercise includes sample collection, description, and preparation, determining clay mineralogy by XRD, and measurement of Atterberg Plasticity Indices. This problem develops skills in X-ray diffraction analysis as applied to clay mineralogy, reinforces leacture material on the geochemistry of weathering, and demonstrates the role of petrologic characterization in site engineering.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Students learn about the underlying factors that can contribute to Plinian eruptions (which eject large amounts of pumice, gas and volcanic ash, and can result in significant death and destruction in the surrounding environment), versus more gentle, effusive eruptions. Students explore two concepts related to the explosiveness of volcanic eruptions, viscosity and the rate of degassing, by modelling the concepts with the use of simple materials. They experiment with three fluids of varying viscosities, and explore the concept of degassing as it relates to eruptions through experimentation with carbonated beverage cans. Finally, students reflect on how the scientific concepts covered in the activity connect to useful engineering applications, such as community evacuation planning and implementation, and mapping of safe living zones near volcanoes. A PowerPoint® presentation and student worksheet are provided.

SSAC Physical Volcanology module. Students use Excel to determine a log-log relationship for flow length vs effusion rate and compare it with a theoretical expression for the maximum flow length.

SSAC Physical Volcanology module. Students use Excel to determine a log-log relationship for flow length vs effusion rate and compare it with a theoretical expression for the maximum flow length.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

SSAC Physical Volcanology module. Students build a spreadsheet to estimate the volume of volcanic deposits using map, thickness and high-water mark data from the 2005 Panabaj debris flow (Guatemala).

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

SSAC Physical Volcanology module. Students build a spreadsheet to calculate the volume a tephra deposit using an exponential-thinning model.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

SSAC Physical Volcanology module. Students build a spreadsheet to calculate the volume a tephra deposit using an exponential-thinning model.

Students investigate Costa Rican volcanic hazards using (a) the amount of silica in volcanic rocks, (b) a highly-simplified geologic map and (c) a satellite image of Costa Rican night time illumination (i.e., human settlements). The activity is intentionally very simple and, consequently, should not require much introduction. However, the instructor can use mapsandnotes.ppt to provide a simple overview of Central American geography and Costa Rican tectonics. By providing brief answers to eight questions, the student demonstrates an understanding of the connection between the silica content of magma and the potential for explosive volcanic activity.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module/Geology of National Parks course. Students use foundational math to study the velocity of the North American Plate over the hot spot, the volume of eruptive materials from it, and the recurrence interval of the cataclysmic eruptions.

Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module/Geology of National Parks course. Students use foundational math to study the velocity of the North American Plate over the hot spot, the volume of eruptive materials from it, and the recurrence interval of the cataclysmic eruptions.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This U.S. Geological Survey clearinghouse provides a diverse array of over 40 links to information on the Yellowstone volcanic system. The links are organized by category, including background and information; special items of interest; maps, graphics, and images; items of interest; useful links; educational outreach; and other menus of interest.

This application was developed to promote a deeper understanding of the science of geochronology, including the integration of crystal-scale relative dating principles with numerical dating via radioisotope measurements. An integral aspect of developing this understanding is practical experience with the decision-making that goes into the selection of samples for analysis, and the subsequent interpretation of the resulting isotopic ages from those samples. The U-Pb decay system in zircon is particularly amenable to this practice, as we can apply different methods -- both in situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) and high-precision chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-IDTIMS) -- to the same crystals, and link the resulting radioisotopic ages to the textures within crystals revealed by cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging.

The application presents the student with a set of images of zircon crystals from a single sample, illustrating their internal zoning and complexities. Two modules -- LA-ICPMS and CA-IDTIMS -- are available, with the same set of crystals available for analysis in each module. The exercises are designed around the ability of the student to conduct a virtual experiment by clicking on either labeled laser ablation "spots" (in the LA-ICPMS module) or individual crystals (in the CA-IDTIMS module) to obtain a set of radioisotopic ages. These ages are illustrated in both tabular and graphical formats to allow the student to visualize the distribution of data, and assess the relative similarities and differences between ages using common statistical tools.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

In these homework exercises, students manipulate two- and three- component phase diagrams. At various points during their interpretation of melting or crystallization of a composition, they are asked to visualize/sketch the resulting rock (in thin section) if it were quenched at that point. They are also required to know how to determine how many phases are in equilibrium and the proportions (or percentages) of those phases at any given point during the evolution of a given magma. These exercises require that students understand Gibb's phase rule (and the condensed phase rule), the lever rule and how to determine liquid and solid (both instantaneous and bulk) compositions. In all, there are 4 binary and 6 ternary phase diagram exercises that are each 1-3 pages in length. I have also included an exercise that introduces phase diagrams and the phase rule (developed with Daniel Brabander). We developed these exercises while at Boston University because we felt that conventional exercises taught the students how to manipulate the diagrams but students could not make the connection to what they are seeing in hand sample and in thin section. We have since found that students were better able to apply the concepts of phase diagrams to their hands-on laboratory exercises.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)