Credit: U.S. Geological Survey
AS Geology
Volcanic Hazards Assignment
Approved for Key Skills evidence
This assignment allows you to practice your Key Skills in Communication
These tasks are designed to help you develop your skills in :
 Reading and summarising information
 Producing appropriate documents with images
Aim – to investigate various sources for information about volcanic eruptions and the
problems they cause and to produce appropriate documents on your findings.
Task 1 – Research
This exercise will introduce you to the information and data that is held in the LRC and
on various websites. Should you require any assistance in your search for information
please ask the LRC staff and your teacher for help and advice.
Sources of information
1. Geology Today
May/June 2002 Geodigest article p93 (in LRC)
Jan/Feb 2000 article (stored in classroom)
2. Book sources
e.g Geohazards by Coch
Natural Disaters by Alexander
Volcanoes by Francis
Volcanoes by Kraft
Hazard Geography by Ross
3. Internet sources
Go to the TRC College Intranet Homepage and click on Departments which will take you
to a list of departments. Click on Geology and then double click on links, which will bring
up a selection of useful links including : The British Geological Survey, The Geological
Society, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Volcanoes on the Learning Web. You
could also try inputting “volcanic hazards” using a search engine such as yahoo.
4. Plate Tectonics
CD–ROM
Interactive Plate Tectonics
Plummer & McGeary available in the LRC and in the
Geology classroom.
CD-Rom
Discovering Science
Open University - Block 3 - Plate Tectonics
Task Two – short document
Produce a short document that illustrates and warns people of the different types of
volcanic hazards that volcanoes produce. Include illustrations where possible. This
leaflet is to be aimed at people living in the areas close to active/dormant volcanoes and
should include the dangers associated with the volcanic hazards and steps to be taken to
minimise risk.
You have a free choice of format and may want to consider anyone of the following
methods of presentation, leaflet, A4 diagram, flowchart, poster, factsheet or A4
handout. Remember that illustrations are good visual aids and are often the best way of
communicating information to those who are non-specialist geologists.
Task Three – Long document
Using your knowledge of predictive techniques produce a long document (approximately
1000 words) on Volcanic Hazards. This will include a description of the various
hazards and a discussion of whether it is possible or not to predict volcanic eruptions.
Refer to the various methods employed in predicting volcanic eruptions.
In this piece of work you must include :
 a summary of a document printed off the internet (include the original document for
comparison).
 evidence that you have read and summarised the article in Geology Today.
 Information from at least one other book source. This could be Geoscience, or the
Volcanoes booklets or one of the books listed in the sources of information.
 a bibliography
When preparing your report/document assume your audience to be other AS Geology
students. Appropriate technical language should be used.
In this task you will be applying your communication skills to deal with quite complex
subjects and extended written material. Below is some information to help you produce a
good document:
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Use a variety of source materials and produce a bibliography
Include at least one image which aids your explanation.
Remember to present your ideas using paragraphs, headings or subheadings.
Use technical vocabulary appropriate to the subject.
Make sure your spelling is correct and that you have punctuated properly.
Use your own words – don’t copy from texts !
You may wish to use this work as a basis for a presentation.
Credit: U.S. Geological Survey