What is a volcano?
A volcano is a mountain that opens
downward to a pool of molten rock
below the surface of the earth. When
pressure builds up, eruptions occur.
Gases and rock shoot up through the
opening and spill over or fill the air
with lava fragments. Eruptions can
cause lateral blasts, lava flows, hot ash
flows, mudslides, avalanches, falling
ash and floods. Volcano eruptions have
been known to knock down entire
forests. An erupting volcano can
trigger tsunamis, flash floods,
earthquakes, mudflows and rockfalls.
How are volcanoes formed?
Volcanoes are formed when
magma from within the Earth's
upper mantle works its way to
the surface. At the surface, it
erupts to form lava flows and
ash deposits. Over time as the
volcano continues to erupt, it
will get bigger and bigger.
Why do volcanoes erupt?
The Earth's crust is made up of
huge slabs called plates, which
fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
These plates sometimes move.
The friction causes earthquakes
and volcanic eruptions near the
edges of the plates. The theory
that explains this process is
called plate tectonics.
What is Climate Change?
Climate change represents
What
What is climate?
a change in long-term
Climate is the average weather
weather patterns. They
usually taken over a 30-year time
can become warmer or
period for a particular region
colder. Annual amounts of
and time period. Climate is not
rainfall or snowfall can
the same as weather, but rather,
increase or decrease.
it is the average pattern of
weather for a particular region.
Weather describes the short-
term state of the atmosphere.
Climates are
changing because our
Earth is warming,
according to the
What are the different stages of
research of scientists.
volcanoes?
Does this contribute
Scientists have categorized
to a warm summer day?
volcanoes into three main
It may, however global
categories: active, dormant, and
climate change is
extinct. An active volcano is one
actually much more
which has recently erupted and
complicated than that
there is a possibility that it may
because a change in
erupt soon. A dormant volcano is
the temperature can
one which has not erupted in a
cause changes in
long time but there is a possibility
other weather
it can erupt in the future. An
elements such as
extinct volcano is one which has
clouds or
erupted thousands of years ago
and there’s no possibility of precipitation.
eruption.
Why does the weather
change?
What is the largest active Heat, wind, and moisture
volcano? cause changes in
The world's largest, active our weather. Heat comes
volcano is Mauna Loa in Hawaii, from the sun. Places near
the equator get more
where famous coffee is grown in
heat from the sun than
the rich volcanic soils. Mauna
places near the North
Loa is 13,677 feet above sea and South Poles do.
level. From its base below sea Land heats up quicker
level to its summit, Mauna Loa than oceans.
is taller than Mount Everest.
What are the different types of volcanoes?
Cinder cones are circular or oval cones made up of
Cinder small fragments of lava from a single vent that
Cones have been blown into the air, cooled and fallen
around the vent.
Composite volcanoes are steep-sided volcanoes
composed of many layers of volcanic rocks, usually
Composite made from high-viscosity lava, ash and rock
Volcanoes debris. Mt. Rainier and Mount St. Helens are
examples of this type of volcano.
Shield volcanoes are volcanoes shaped like a bowl
or shield in the middle with long gentle slopes
made by basaltic lava flows. Basalt lava flows from
Shield
these volcanoes are called flood basalts. The
Volcanoes
volcanoes that formed the basalt of the Columbia
Plateau were shield volcanoes.
Lava domes are formed when erupting lava is too
thick to flow and makes a steep-sided mound as
the lava piles up near the volcanic vent. The
Lava
eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 was caused
Volcanoes
in part by a lava dome shifting to allow explosive
gas and steam to escape from inside the
mountain.
What is our climate system?
The atmosphere covers the Earth. It is a thin
layer of mixed gases which make up the air we
Atmosphere
breathe. This thin layer also helps the Earth
from becoming too hot or too cold.
Oceans cover about 70 percent of Earth's
Oceans surface. Their large size and thermal properties
allow them to store a lot of heat.
Land covers 27 percent of Earth's surface and
Land
land topography influences weather patterns.
Ice is the world's largest supply of freshwater.
It covers the remaining 3 percent of Earth's
surface including most of Antarctica and
Ice
Greenland. Ice plays an important role in
regulating climate, because it is highly
reflective.
The biosphere is the part of Earth's
atmosphere, land, and oceans that supports any
Biosphere
living plant, animal, or organism. It is the place
where plants and animals, including humans, live.
 What is weather? Why do we have seasons? Star Maps
The weather is just the state of the As the Earth spins on its axis,

atmosphere at any time; including
things such as temperature,
precipitation, air pressure and cloud
cover. Daily changes in the weather
are due to winds and storms.
Seasonal changes are due to the
Earth revolving around the sun.
producing night and day, it also moves
about the Sun in an elliptical
(elongated circle) orbit that requires
365 1/4 days to complete. The Earth's
axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees and is why
we have seasons. When the Earth's axis
points towards the Sun, it is summer
The 88 different constellations divide
up the entire night sky as seen from all
around the Earth. Star maps are made
of the brightest stars and the patterns
that they make which give rise to the
names of the constellations.

How many constellations are
there?
The sky was divided up into 88
different constellations in 1922.
This included 48 ancient
constellations listed by the
Greek astronomer Ptolemy as
well as 40 new constellations.
Ursa Major
Ursa Major is visible in the northern
hemisphere. It means "Larger Bear"
in Latin. The Big Dipper is part of
the Ursa Major constellation. The
Big Dipper is often used as a way to
find the direction north.
for that hemisphere. When the Earth's The maps of the stars represent the
axis points away, winter can be position of the stars as we see them
expected. from Earth. The stars in each
constellation may not be close to each
other at all. Some of them are bright
Hemispheres and Seasons
because they are close to Earth while
others are bright because they are very
Not all of the constellations are visible
large stars.
from any one point on Earth. The star
maps are typically divided into maps for
the northern hemisphere and maps for
Orion
the southern hemisphere. The season
Orion is one of the most visible
of the year can also affect what
constellations. Because of its location,
constellations are visible from where
it can be seen throughout the world.
you are located on Earth.
Orion is named after a hunter from
Greek mythology. Its brightest stars
are Betelgeuse and Rigel.
Draco
The Draco constellation can be viewed
in the northern hemisphere. It means
The Zodiac
"dragon" in Latin and was one of the 48
The zodiac constellations are the
ancient constellations.
constellations that are located

within a band that is about 20

Ursa Minor
Ursa Minor means "Smaller Bear"
in Latin. It is located near Ursa
Major and also has the pattern
degrees wide in the sky. This band
Pegasus
is considered special because it is
The Pegasus constellation is named
the band where the Sun, the
after the flying horse by the same name
Moon, and the planets all move.
from Greek mythology. It can be seen in

of a small ladle called the Little the northern sky.

Dipper as part of its larger

pattern.

FAMOUS CONSTELLATION