Investigating volcanoes – question bank

An inquiry approach is a method often used in science education. The question bank provides an initial list of questions about volcanoes and places where their answers can be found.

The article Investigating volcanoes – introduction has links to further resources and student activities.

Q. How can we find out when volcanoes in Auckland last erupted?

• Determining Auckland’s volcanic risk

• Onepoto Basin

Q. What would a volcanic eruption in Auckland be like?

• Auckland’s volcanoes

• Future explosions in Auckland

Q. What happens to magma before it becomes lava?

• New models for volcanoes

• Exploring magma formation

Q. Do all volcanoes look and act the same?

• Types of volcanoes

Q. How can scientists use rocks to learn about what happened millions of years ago?

• Types of volcanic rock

• Volcanology methods

Q. Can one volcanic eruption trigger another volcano to erupt?

• Double trouble – Rotorua and Ōhakuri

• Double trouble

Q. Why do the volcanoes in Auckland look different to the volcanoes in the central North Island?

• Exploding Taupō

Q. Are earthquakes and volcanoes related? Does one cause the other?

• Plate tectonics, volcanoes and earthquakes

Q. Why do scientists study the bottoms of lakes and swamps to learn about volcanic activity?

• Reading rock core samples