Stormy Seas

Resource for Grades 2-6

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Media Type:
Video

Running Time: 2m 32s
Size: 16.0 MB

Source: Nature: "Kilauea: Mountain of Fire"

Learn more about the Nature film "Kilauea: Mountain of Fire."

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This video from Nature illustrates the powerful impact of a volcanic eruption in Hawaii and traces the lava’s activity from cone to sea. The sea is the only natural substance that can stop a lava flow and when this happens, it’s an explosive event. These explosions create littoral cones, or more simply, a newly-formed coastline. When the 80 degree water meets 2,000 degree lava, massive amounts of steam surge into the air, which can create miniature weather patterns. While the weather is localized, serious climatic changes like tornados can occur.

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Discussion Questions

Where does the lava flow stop?
What happens when the hot lava meets the cooler ocean water?
What does “littoral” mean?
What weather patterns emerge at the coastline?

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Transcript

Narrator: The lava has come far. From its violent release, down across the fields. Nothing could stop it – except the one force that is its measure... ...The sea.

Matt Patrick: What we have here are explosions at the ocean entry building a littoral cone -- littoral basically means coast.

Narrator: When water and lava get trapped together in a tube, steam pressure builds – then explodes...

Now, after seven months, the tube from one of the new vents, “Fissure D,” has at last reached the sea.

Kilauea’s shoreline is today a battle zone.

The lava has been well insulated on its journey here from the cone, so it’s lost little heat. Now 2000 degree molten rock meets 80 degree water. A volatile mix.

The steam also creates waterspouts – miniature tornadoes that can tower over 200 feet.

This is a place to avoid.