Some topics seem to encourage more Internet creativity than others, and volcanos is one of those topics. I found Java applications that illustrate the parts of a volcano, and even let you design your own volcano and watch it erupt. I found virtual tours, volcano cams, and pictograms. Ready for your tour? Follow me for what's hot and explosive on the Net this week.
These annotated photo stories combine photography with illustration and explanatory text to deliver their message. Choose from nineteen pictograms, mostly starring Mount Saint Helens before, during and after her big eruption in 1980.
Every so often I come across a site that delivers more than it promises. This is one of those sites. Don't be fooled by the simple text menu with it's nondescript choices. Behind each selection is an array of interesting material. Be sure to visit Volcano Fun. What makes this site great? It's educational (you'll learn all about volcanos). It's animated (watch volcanos erupt). It's interactive (build your own volcano, and watch its pattern of eruption, or submit your own volcano artwork and stories). It doesn't take too long to download (it uses Java instead of slow loading graphics). And it's written for kids. If you're hankering for more, visit the "grownup" Volcano World.
Stromboli is a continuously active strato volcano, one of the volcanic Aeolian Islands off the southern coast of Italy. There are two settlements on the island: Stromboli in the Northeast and the tiny village of Ginostra in the Southwest. The total permanent population of the island is 361, with seasonal tourism increasing that number in the summer. I wonder if they count virtual tourists. Join guide Pamela Alean on a climb to the top, with a view of the smoking summit all along the way.
"Forget Java, we've got lava" proclaims Volcano Cam from New Zealand. What is an Internet cam? Here's the scoop. Someone focuses their video camera on a fish tank, an ant farm, the San Francisco skyline, or the door to the men's room and invites you to watch via a live Internet feed. In this case, you'll be watching the Ruapehu volcano. Since nothing much usually happens, you can sign up to be notified by email as soon as she starts to erupt.
The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!
Ask a GeologistCan We Predict Volcano Eruptions? | Hawaii: Born of FireInformation Please: Volcanoes! |
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