Teach the Earth > Data, Simulations and Models > Teaching Ideas > Mt St Helens Hazard Assessment


Mt St Helens Hazard Assessment

Chuck Anderson, Michelle Cooke, Amy Holt Cline, Bob deGroot, Charlie Onasch, Steve Reynolds, Sarah Titus, Jamie Toro, Linda Sohl, and Stuart Wier
Topic: Hazard assessment, geology, seismology, meterology, geophysics
Course Type: introductory


Students will work in teams to answer the following question: Which areas around Mt St Helens are the most dangerous? Student teams will focus on the areas of Geology, Geophysics, Meteorology and population using a variety of data sets including weather data, earthquake data, GPS data, population data of the surrounding communities and more. Students will analyze data in order to answer the above question. Students will be expected to work in small teams to analyze data and then report back to the larger group. All teams will be responsible to write up a report about what the data says about Mt St Helens in order to make better decisions about emergency response.

Storyline: You have just been delegated to run a 3 day trip up and around Mt. St Helens to collect missing data ..... You have been given the sesmelogical data showing where earthquakes have been over the past 25 years. In addition you have been giving climate data that will explain the average weather patterns in the areas.


Goals: students will understand:
- Be able to apply data to a question to find a solution
- How scientists collaborate
- How to explore data
- How geologic and topographic data migh
- Students can use the location of eathquackes to understand igneaous processes.
- To understand how climatic and topographic factors might influence might influence the hazard area relative to a volcano.
- How humans are vulnerable to Mt St. Helens

Skills: students will be well be able to:
- Read topo maps
- Access and read weather maps
- Interpret weather movies
- Use GPS units
- Communicate their findings in clear language
- Submit an emergency action plan to the city
- Write a paper on how to prepare for an earthquake or volcano. How will this influence where the community should or should not build their houses. How do they respond?


Assessment would be based on students understanding of:
- using data to access the location of earthquackes to understand igneous processes.
- understanding of how climatic and topographic factors might influence might influence the hazard area relative to a volcano.
- understanding of how humans are vulnerable to Mt St. Helens and what to do in an emergency.


UNAVCO GEON IDV was the inspiration for this activity. See geon.unavco.org

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