Application of Magma Formation Experiments: Elementary School Volcanology Class in Dinosaur Valley Fukui Katsuyama Geopark

Abstract

We report the results and educational effectiveness of an elementary school volcanology class conducted in Dinosaur Valley Fukui Katsuyama Geopark, Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture. Our volcanology class consists of a lecture on volcanic activity and land formation and an experiment on magma formation using a portable clay cooking stove. The students observed a lava flow, at around 1,000℃ as estimated by an IR thermometer, charring wooden toothpicks placed in the slope of a sand pile. The results of post-class questionnaires suggest that the students had gained an understanding of the high temperature of lava; and had also developed an interest in the relationship between volcanic activity and land formation in the Katsuyama region.