Fun
Knit to This: Volcano Edition
Dear Kay,
There is no way you go to Iceland and don’t think about volcanoes. The island was created from volcanic activity—its 30 volcanic systems are in varying stages of active, including such current high-alert volcanoes Katla, Hekla, and Öræfajökull.
We stayed in hotels named for volcanoes. There are lava fields everywhere. The tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia meet in Iceland. It is BONKERS to see this stuff.
Which means, of course, that I’m now obsessed with volcanoes. Today I offer two volcanic options for you.
Option 1: Literal Volcano Knowledge
For those thinking about geology that goes bang, I enjoyed this completely straightforward podcast from the smartypantses at Stuff You Should Know. How Volcanoes Work is 33 minutes of magma, mantle, crust, and all the pressure you can handle.
Option 2: Hollywood Volcano Movie
Yeah, it’s Dante’s Peak. I somehow missed this Pierce Brosnan/Linda Hamilton movie, which is stacked up with 1997 special effects that are kind of charming to see all these years later.
Tagline: “The pressure is building.” I can’t wait to see if the volcanologist Pierce Brosnan is going to persuade everybody that the big one is finally on the way. Maybe he does persuade the whole town to pack up and go. I dunno—maybe this is a FEMA evacuation movie?
It’s available on a variety of platforms—see the options here.
Love,
Ann
See also: videos of the Krafts and their work on volcanoes. They were amazing volcanologists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Ix3YIhmlI
On the lighter side, I recommend “Joe versus the Volcano “ with Tom Hanks.
Had you been living with us oh say about 30 years ago, you would have been 100% familiar with the difference between a’a and pahoehoe and why to flee pyroclastic flows. (I believe it was the Kraffts who died in one, no?)
My husband is a “disaster movie of the week” fan, and Dante’s Peak is right in his wheelhouse. I just like it cause Pierce is in it – win win all round 🙂
It was …Maurice and Katia Krafft. Was it Mount Unzen?
Check out the Hawaiian eruption of Kiluea on the USGS website. Stunning videos of the lava flows during the entire eruption period.
FYI: no day of watching eruptions is complete without listening to Jimmy Buffett ‘s “Volcano” – fins up! ;0)
was ALWAYS a pierce fan!!
Many years ago, a dear friend and her husband retired to their dream house in Monserrat after years of saving their pennies. And then the volcano started spewing ash and the lava cut off access to their home. They got out and continued to almost literally camp out in a safer area of the island until they both passed away.
You missed some options that include an Icelandic volcano! For the literary minded, there is Jules Verne’s “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” For those wanting something more musical, I recommend Rick Wakeman’s album based on the Verne tale (and bearing the same name).
As a geologist, I can relay that the scientific inaccuracies of Dante’s Peak along with Brosnan’s sexy portrayal of a volcanologist are the source of much amusement for geologists everywhere.
So funny!
Liz, do you and your fellow geologists ever watch movies together and play fallacy bingo?
No, but that sounds like a great idea! I’m sure, back in the day, there was some sort of game involving beer. Dante’s Peak and Tremors … Never fail to entertain!
“General, you better put jam in your pockets, because we are all about to be toast…” – Scientist to General of local base re: impending eruption of Mt. Pinatubo (NOVA PBS) 😀
Watch the Icelandic series Lava Field on Netflix- lots of beautiful scenery.
In all seriousness, I am fascinated by volcanoes and am looking forward to watching the videos about the Krafts!
Pun intended?