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DECEMBER 2008

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BY JESSICA FRIES-GAITHER JESSICA BY

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ and managing content for the magazine and blog. and magazine the for content managing and

A SURPRISING VOLCANO SURPRISING A

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears involves creating creating involves Bears Polar and Penguins Beyond Licensed Under a Creative Commons license. Commons Creative a Under Licensed

MT. EREBUS: MT. in Memphis, TN and Anchorage, AK. Her work with with work Her AK. Anchorage, and TN Memphis, in

Science Foundation Science

and middle school (grades 5-8 math and science) science) and math 5-8 (grades school middle and

National the by Supported

Jessica taught at the elementary level (grades 4-6) 4-6) (grades level elementary the at taught Jessica

The Ohio State University State Ohio The Copyright December 2008 – The Ohio State University State Ohio The – 2008 December Copyright

Elementary Resource Specialist, Specialist, Resource Elementary

(December 2008) (December

Jessica Fries-Gaither Jessica Earth’s Changing Surface Surface Changing Earth’s 9: Issue

ABOUT THE AUTHOR THE ABOUT http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO Ross Island is a cold place. It is near Antarctica. forms caves made out of This means that Mt. Erebus is covered by snow ice. When the hot steam and ice all year long. But the inside of the moves into the cold air, volcano is very hot. Steam from the inside of it freezes into pillars. the volcano comes out the sides through cracks They look like icicles that

Opening to an ice tower near the lower Erebus in the rock. The steam makes the ice melt and point up into the sky! hut. Photo courtesy of Jean Pennycook, Mt. Erebus Image Gallery.

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what come from the volcano. the from come what

Most of the time, though, steam and smoke are are smoke and steam though, time, the of Most

Erebus erupts almost every day! every almost erupts Erebus

air. Scientists call these chunks “lava bombs.” bombs.” “lava chunks these call Scientists air.

anymore. But many volcanoes still erupt. Mt. Mt. erupt. still volcanoes many But anymore.

volcano shoots a big chunk of lava out into the the into out lava of chunk big a shoots volcano

of them are very old. They do not erupt erupt not do They old. very are them of

Sometimes, a big bubble of gas inside the the inside gas of bubble big a Sometimes,

There are volcanoes all over the world. Some Some world. the over all volcanoes are There lake isn’t made of water. It’s made of lava! lava! of made It’s water. of made isn’t lake

At the top of the volcano is a lake. But this this But lake. a is volcano the of top the At

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO SURPRISING A EREBUS: MT. VOLCANO SURPRISING A EREBUS: MT.

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO

Mt. Erebus Scientists travel to Ross Island to study this special volcano. They want to learn more Ross Island about what happens deep inside it. Would you like to study volcanoes, too?

ANTARCTICA °S

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Mt. Erebus. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. of courtesy Photo Erebus. Mt.

Flickr. Flickr.

courtesy of jeaneeem, jeaneeem, of courtesy

Mount Erebus. Photo Photo Erebus. Mount

Steam from the top of of top the from Steam

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO SURPRISING A EREBUS: MT. MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO SURPRISING A EREBUS: MT.

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO

GLOSSARY eruption -when lava flows out of a volcano Ross Island is near the bottom of the world. lava - melted rock that reaches Earth’s surface On this island is a strange mountain. The mountain’s name is Mt. Erebus (er-uh-buh s). volcano - an opening in earth’s surface from which lava flows

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Foundation. Foundation.

National Science Science National

U.S. Antarctic Program, Program, Antarctic U.S.

courtesy of Nick Powell, Powell, Nick of courtesy

Mt. Erebus. Photo Photo Erebus. Mt.

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO SURPRISING A EREBUS: MT. VOLCANO SURPRISING A EREBUS: MT.

MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO MT. EREBUS: A SURPRISING VOLCANO

But Mt. Erebus isn’t just a mountain. It is a How can there be a volcano in such a cold volcano. A volcano is an opening in Earth’s place? The cold weather does not affect surface. Melted rock called lava flows out the volcano. Instead, the volcano’s heat of the opening. When this happens, it is comes from deep inside the Earth. called an eruption.

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