In this part, your assignment is to conduct a volcano hazard assessment for the four scenarios/problems listed on the ETE page linked here. These include the following volcanoes: Mt. Ranier, Kilauea, Mt. Hood, and Yellowstone caldera.

As a minimum, for each of these situations, you are expected to

• identify the major type of eruptions or other volcanic hazards that are likely to be encountered
• evaluate the probable impact considering scale of impact, distribution of effects, duration of effects
• recommend some type of action plan to mitigate the effects of these hazards

Please prepare a written evaluation for each example; aim at a length of less than two pages of text (normal font size). Include a table that collectively lists the types of hazards you identify for these cases. (You might follow the template used in a volcano fatalities table prepared by the USGS.) And, finally, list the references and WWW links you used in this assignment.

In this part, your assignment is to review the phenomenon called 'hot spot volcanism' and to carry out a simple exercise to determine the velocity and approximate azimuth for Pacific plate motion. For reference, you may refer to the following maps:

• global distribution of hot spots
• Pacific hot spot tracks - bathymetry
• Hot spot volcanism, maps of Hawaiian-Emperor chain - two maps are shown, one for only the Hawaiian islands, the other for the entire Hawaii-Emperor chain (click on the these maps to get a larger readable version)

From the map scale and ages provided for earliest dated volcanic deposits from the respective Hawaiian islands, make a graph of age vs. distance measured from Loihi seamount (assume zero age for Loihi). Fit a line through the plotted points (a close 'eyeball' fit will do), and from the slope estimate the rate of motion for the Pacific plate relative to the Hawaiian hot spot.

List the basic assumptions you have to make in producing this estimate. For what time period is your estimate valid? Is there any reason to suspect that rates or directions of motion varied with time?

Next, go to the Plate Calculator WWW page and using the Long./Lat. position of Hawaii, calculate the rate of absolute motion for the Pacific plate. How does this result compare to your previous estimate? Discuss the significance of these results.

Finally, observations of extraterrestrial volcanoes provide some means of comparing tectonic processes on other planets with those of the Earth. compare the size and distribution of the Hawaiian islands with the largest volcano observed on Mars (Olympus Mons). In terms of the hot spot model, what do you conclude from this comparison concerning plate tectonics on Mars?

As a minimum, you are expected to turn in your graph, the two plate motion velocity estimates, and a brief discussion (less than 1 page total).

The ETE page has direct links to some background information as well as other useful links. However, you are encouraged to explore further using the resources provided below (and any others you may find). Especially look at the WWW pages for Cascades Volcano Observatory and Hawaii Volcano Observatory. The USGS Volcano PhotoGlossary also contains alot of useful information about the effects of many volcanological phenomena.

Other good sites for general volcano information and photos are VolcanoWorld or the Michigan Tech Volcanoes Page. Also, you can always refer to Bill's Volcanic Hazards and Volcano Images WWW pages.

For overall review, read Abbott, Chapters 6 & 7; be prepared to answer the review questions on p. 153-154 and p.178-179.