VIRTUAL FIELD STUDIES OF VOLCANIC ENVIRONMENTS: WEB-BASED EXAMPLES FROM VESUVIUS AND LAKI VOLCANOES

Web-based virtual field studies of Vesuvius volcano in Italy and Laki volcano in Iceland are being developed as laboratory exercises suitable for undergraduate geology classes. The exercises are built upon previous research by the authors dealing with the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius and the 1783 eruption of Laki. Quicktime virtual reality images (QTVR), video clips, user-controlled animations and interactive measurement tools are used to allow students to explore archeological and geological sites, collect field data in an electronic field notebook, and construct hypotheses about the impacts of the eruptions on the local and global environment. The QTVR images provide 360o views of key sites where students can observe volcanic deposits and formations in the context of a defined field area. Video sequences from recent explosive and effusive eruptions of Carribean and Hawaiian volcanoes are used to illustrate specific styles of eruptive activity, such as ash fallout, pyroclastic flows and surges, lava flows and their effects on the surrounding environment. A primary objective of the exercises is to simulate the role of a field volcanologist who collects information from the geologic record and reconstructs the sequence of eruptive processes based on specific features of the deposits. Preliminary testing of the Vesuvius exercise in several undergraduate classes shows a preference for the web-based interactive tools compared with traditional paper-based laboratory exercises. The exercises will be freely accessible for undergraduate classes such as introductory geology, geologic hazards, or volcanology. Accompany material for instructors is also being developed.