Volcano Research

What is a VOLCANO? How does it Form?




A volcano is a geological rupture in the Earth's crust triggered by natural forces, such as pressure and temperature in the interior of the Earth. These forces drive gases and hot liquid, known as magma, out through a volcano's orifice known as the vent. Once out of the vent, magma is now called lava, these erupted materials break down, harden or condense around a volcano's vent. Over thousands or millions of years, the accumulation of magma forms steep-sided cones known as volcanoes. Volcanoes have been erupting molten material, after the formation of the earth, due to the accumulated pressure in the interior of the planet. The formation of volcanoes has contributed to the shaping and configuration of the varied landscapes that make up the planet.

Basically, A volcano is a type of mountain that is created when some of that magma travels up through the plates to the earth's surface.

Volcanoes are most commonly formed at the convergence or divergence of tectonic plates.

Mount FUJI

When did Mount Fuji last erupt?

16 December 1707

Mount Fuji (Actually two volcanoes know as "Old Fuji" and "Young Fuji") has erupted for more than 100,000 years. It is the highest mountain in Japan, the 2nd highest peak of an island (volcano) in Asia, and 7th in the World. Mount Fuji is dormant stratovolcano - also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and ash.

Destruction

Mount Fuji's last eruption ejected tons of TEPHRA (all solid volcanic materials --not lava or gas) into the atmosphere. The 1707 eruption, called the Hoei eruption. The tephra was so thick that the people of the city of Edo (Tokyo) had to use candles in the middle of the day.

Many people lose their lives as a consequence of Mount Fuji's volcanic activity. Damage to nearby homes and the tephra fallout reduced agricultural productivity in the region, causing many people to starve. 

Facts and Trivia about VOLCANOES


A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a pool of molten rock below the surface of the earth. When pressure builds up, eruptions occur.

• In an eruption, gases and rock shoot up through the opening and spill over or fill the air with lava fragments. Eruptions can cause lava flows, hot ash flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling ash and floods.
• The danger area around a volcano covers about a 20-mile radius. Fresh volcanic ash, made of pulverized rock, can be harsh, acidic, gritty, glassy and smelly. The ash can cause damage to the lungs of older people, babies and people with respiratory problems.
• Volcanic lightning occurs mostly within the cloud of ash during an eruption and is created by the friction of the ash rushing to the surface. Roughly 200 accounts of this lightning have been witnessed live.
• An erupting volcano can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudflows and rockfalls.
• More than 80% of the earth's surface is volcanic in origin. The sea floor and some mountains were formed by countless volcanic eruptions. Gaseous emissions from the volcano formed the earth's atmosphere.
• There are more than 500 active volcanoes in the world. More than half of these volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire," a region that encircles the Pacific Ocean
• Active volcanoes in the U.S. are found mainly in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington, but the greatest chance of eruptions near areas where many people live is in Hawaii and Alaska.
• The sound of an eruption volcano can be quiet and hissing or explosive and booming. The loud cracks travel hundreds of miles and do the most damage, including hearing loss and broken glass.
• The most deadly eruptions have occurred in Indonesia, with tens of thousands of lives lost to starvation, tsunami (as a result of the eruption), ash flows, and mudflows.

Particle Theory of Matter - Convection

Observing Convection I

Aim: TO observe convection in a liquid.

Equipment:
200 mL beaker, water, tweezers, a crystal of potassium
permanganate, a drinking straw, Bunsen Burner, heat mat, tripod and gauze mat.

Method:

1. 1. Set up a Bunsen Burner on a heatproof mat. Put the gauze mat on the tripod but leave it just one side of the Bunsen burner.
2.  Fill a 200 mL beaker with 150 mL of cold water.
3. Place the beaker on top of the tripod and gauze and allow it to settle for a few minutes.
4. CArefully insert a drinking straw down one side of the beaker, ensuring the straw down one side of the beaker. Be careful as you do not want to disturb the water too much. 
5. Using tweezer, drop a crystal of potassium permanganate down the inside of the straw. Wait for the crystal to settle on the bottom of the beaker.
6.  Very gently, remove the straw.
7. Light the Bunsen and slide it under the tripod so that you are only heating the outside of the beaker where the crystal is. Observe.

Observations:

The heat is transferred to the water through the glass, that causes the crystal to heat up also making its molecules to spread. The water turned into purple because of the heated permanganate crystal molecules spread in the water.

Observing Convection II

Aim: TO observe convection in a gas.

Equipment:

Scissors, paper spiral pattern, string, a source of heat (boiling water, radiator, etc)

1. Cut out the spiral pattern below, carefully following the dashed line.
2. Tie a length of cotton through the hole on the top of the spiral.
3. Hold the spiral 30-40cm above a heat source.
4. Observe.

Observations:

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi

Class Persuasive Writing: Hornby High students Should Be Able to Leave School to Get Their Own Food

Hornby High Students Should Be Able to Leave School to Get Their Own Food

What did I learn?

 Writing a persuasive writing is easy with a diverse vocabulary and understanding of your topic but at the same time, it is tricky. We often get lost on the track. Using SEXY paragraphs is a great help to be consistent. As a class, I get to understand more the use of SEXY paragraphs while looking at both sides.

Why did we do it as a class?

One of the greatest ability we should have is writing and arguing our opinions in English. Different voices can be heard if a persuasive writing is done as a class. Together, we develop these skills willingly especially the topic involves students.

What will I do better next time?

Everyone's opinions matter in this category. One or majority, it all still matters. There are some parts in which I disagree with. Like using a word multiple times, and not sharing my ideas and suggestions. On the other hand, even though I am against it I should still fully participate, not for the topic but for my learning. 

What questions do I still have?

• Shouldn't we consider that almost half of the students today are not responsible enough?
• Why go out of school to buy food when we have our own cafe at school?
• What if they go for this topic just for their own benefit? Like going out to the mall and bunk.

Persuasive Writing: Dogs Are More Superior Than Cats

Dogs Are More Superior Than Cats

Every family’s pet is commonly a dog or a cat. They’re a member of the family that brings such great happiness to everyone. Dogs and cats are not just pets. Everyone should love them in a way we love people, too. Some people are indecisive about which to have. A loud wiggly-dog or a lazy fat-cat?

Protecting isn’t just a dog’s duty. Dogs are trustworthy and loving. As an animal, they can understand human feelings that also affects their emotion. Barking at night is not a disruption, it is they’re way of threatening dangers around. Loud dog barks scare bad people sneaking at night. They can also sense evil spirits that is why they bark but you see nothing outside. Describing dogs as happy pills make sense. They relieve stress and anxiety. Seeing them wiggling their tail makes us smile. Exercising with your dog makes the both of you physically fit, too. For instance, walking in the morning to get some sunlight and fresh air. A dog can be our buddy whenever it’s just they can’t talk to us.

Cats are fluffy balls! We can’t just see them do something useful. Eat, drink, sleep- a cat’s daily routine. Did you know that in the past, Egyptians used to worship cats? Until now, they act as majesty and rule the house. But their fluffy fur, cute eyes and sound soothes our feelings. Acting weird is their talent, sometimes they are a dog biting us, a bird flying in the kitchen, a kangaroo jumping so high when they’re surprised. Cats love playing sleeping on boxes instead of the expensive sleeping bed you bought. Like dogs, they can scare away unfortunates. Lazy people will be a great partner with cats.

Comparing them will not help anything as they are both beneficial and loving in their own way. In terms of sizes, dogs can be seen as more superior than cats, we are sure that they can protect us. Cats are just cute and lazy. But let's all admit that cats are bossier as we do all sort of things for them.

Hornby: Lovely Art Larceny

Hornby: Lovely Art Larceny

Lovely, the artist, made her own linocut self-portrait this year. The piece was displayed in an exclusive exhibition on August 25 then a remarkable explosion happened. Guests were quickly evacuated but the authorities couldn't find the 'Lovely Art'!

• Her fierce can be clearly seen on the portrait facing towards.
• Slightly tilted head and long down hair.
• The head almost occupied all the space but a bright background is left.
• Shadowing and tones are done very well and emphasised making it a closed-full head portrait.
• The half side of the face is brighter and the other side is darker. Particularly bright cheeks, forehead and chin. 
• Lines were also made around the eyes and nose.

Creative Writing: Arriving in Paradise

From Pit to a Paradise

A new day has started again in London, it is already 1850 and my life hasn’t changed even for a bit, I am just growing up and doing more works. I learned how to live independently as a teen as mother and father died because of a disease in which I don’t know how or why, we lack in education, all I know is they are working very hard for us. I live in a place, like a sardine can, overcrowded, narrow, dirty, slippery, dark streets, we are not getting enough sunlight nor fresh air as the houses are built together side by side and in parallel. Houses don't have windows, furniture, and anything very much. People are not getting clean water for bath, no toilets and wastes go down the street, London in this century I say has a really poor hygiene, good thing I'm a girl with a not so bad immune system. I'm grateful for having a good boss, sometimes, "what a fortunate girl", they say. Though I have a slightly better life, I find ways of saving everything, one drop of water, crumbs of bread, time, etc.

It is sunset, a beautiful sky has appeared by people are not in their homes, children are not playing outside, we are all in factories, working. Sunset doesn't symbolise ending for us. I work as a maid, cleaning my boss' house, sewing, cooking, and they also send me to their factory twice a week. 

Moonlight shines, stars twinkling above, is not what you can see in London. Instead, a pitch dark sky, I heard someone call it pollution, I don't know. It's a cold windy night, a paper has appeared before me and hit my face. I went to a place where there's a little light, though I can't read what it says I still can see the picture, it has P-A-R-A-D-I-S-E, it looks amazing for me, a nice scenery picture, at the bottom it says 'ship', I can read that one, dawn morning, and $15. I knew these word because my boss taught me to come to work every day at dawn morning. I felt some kind of weird feeling inside me, I want to go to this place. I have a money for the ship but I decided to just go next year and save more money as I can. 

I always check the pier if there's a ship going to the place I saw on the poster, I asked them about the place and I learned that many people have already gone to New Zealand. 

It is 1851, London is still the same. I packed my things, just a few, I gave a farewell to my boss and let me go, she even gave me a gift, a beautiful dress. I'm a cabin passenger, I saved enough money to pay for it and even have some leftovers. I saw the steerage passengers and felt horrible, I get to eat nice meals such as steak, soups and milk, while they can only get some biscuits, preserved foods and crowded sleeping place. I got rid of this thought by reading my favourite book, a gift from my mother. Once, I talked to my friends in the steerage and caught a cold from them, luckily the ship has medicines. We have been in the sea for so long, it took 106 days before we arrived in New Zealand.

The day has finally come, a beautiful sea greeted us, I can see that the houses were distant, few people walking, children running along, peaceful, fresh air, and friendly local people. I decided to settle in the North Island. I became an assistant and cleaner in a meat shop with nice pay and fair treatment. No prejudice or exploitation is happening around. I live in a house with other 3 people to pay less for the rental, but at least I have my own room with walls, doors and windows. New Zealand is such a clean place compared back in London. They also have toilets, bathrooms and running water. After 5 years of working, I finally adapted to this new place completely. Then, a miracle has occurred, a programme offered me a scholarship to study. To support my other expenses, I also had to work on a farm, and as an assistant cook in a small eatery. 

1884, I graduated from the academy and got a better full-time job as a writer for Publishing Company Ltd. and as a supervisor.  After 5 years, I started my own business, a small unknown clothing boutique in the alley. My first year is stagnant, it started to progress after 2 years. Within these years, I had a teenage boy from an orphanage. My life has changed, getting old and living my life happily. I did not regret my choice of coming to this paradise.