Myths of Volcanoes Essay

Of the volcanoes that are located in the United States there are two which are world renowned for their activity and their power to change the region surrounding them. The two volcanoes would be Mount Saint Helens and Mount Kilauea. In order to get a better understanding of these volcanoes we will be comparing and contrasting them as well as talking about how they were formed and when they last had an eruption.

A hazard is a situation that poses a level of threat tolife, health, property or environment. The level of hazard posed by different volcanoes can very greatly, from a weak eruption with minimal impact that causes little damage, to a voilent and life threatening explosion. Most of the sixty-plus volcanoes that erupt each year are low risk, however a combination of factors can cause a volcano to be a serious hazard. The factors causing these variations will be explained in this essay.

Every culture, religion, and beliefs have their own ideology on how the earth was created and the story of how the first person was formed. Many beliefs come from science and religion however there is also myths that have been passed down from generation to generation. So, who is right? How did the earth form? I believe that there is no right answer and that every myth gives a person something to believe in. If you take an in depth look at these myths, you will become mesmerized at some of the stories. Today we are going to dive into two myths from two different cultures.

This paper will provide information on the volcanoes of Hawaii, where it is known to be the home of one of the world’s largest volcanic islands, merely second to Iceland. It is not just the beautiful landscapes and wildlife that spark the interest to this particular area, but the uniqueness of the Hawaiian volcanoes and islands themselves are what make the area so significant. There will be information spanning from the history of the origin of the islands to how Hawaii must adjust to the volcanic hazards in order to keep the area livable. With these ideas in mind, I will first address background information on the area and set the scene as to what makes this area so special. Then I will transition to the history of how the

Volcanoes are one of the most destructive, yet, most beautiful things on Earth. They can make a famous city choke in its own ashes in one day, like Pompeii. Or they can turn a once damaging mountain into a graceful and peaceful home for new life, like Mount St. Helen’s. All volcanoes are unique, and no two are the same. Some erupt differently than others, some look different than others, and all are located in different spots all over the world. I learned this while completing the project and the five volcanoes I researched are examples of my discoveries. The five volcanoes I researched were Mount Hood, Mount Mageik, Long Island, Mount Muria, and Las Pilas.

The RIng of Fire is located on the coast that surrounds the Pacific Ocean, there are 452 volcanoes and that’s 90% of all the volcanoes. Only 75% of the volcanoes are active to this day. In my paper I will mostly be talking about the location, creation, and the volcanoes in the RIng of Fire.

To begin my search I went to my favorite search engine, Yahoo.com. I have always found that this engine is the easiest to use, and gives you the best information. At first, I researched all volcanoes, not just Mt. Rainier. There was so much information out there that I found it difficult to narrow it down to just 10 for my annotated bibliography. I was able to spend hours on the computer exploring the various sites and finding out new information. From most of the sites I went to I was able to link to other sites that had to do with the same subject. I found this to be very useful in doing my research. Not only did I find information about volcanoes and how they work, I found places where I could buy volcano merchandise, watch real time videos of eruptions, and look at volcano cams from around the world. I learned so much about all kinds of volcanoes from my research, but when it came down to answering the questions that I had asked, there were two web sites that I found were the most useful, The US Geological Societies Cascades Volcano Observatory, and Volcanoes Online. These two I found to be the most useful in my research.

Volcanoes are in fact important because without volcanoes the atmosphere wouldn’t have its oxygen rich properties. Many of years ago, Earth’s atmosphere was swarm with rock-forming minerals of the earth 's crust. During earlier volcanic eruptions many gasses enters into the earth atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, water vapor and many other gases

There is one volcano i wanted to talk about in particular. That volcano is Popocatepetl it has a great love story and legend to it. There are many theories to it but I will try to find the most reasonable one.

Roughly seventy million years of volcanism, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, displays a fascinating world of biological diversity, rich, distinct Hawaiian culture, and past history. The park is located on the Island of Hawaii, 96 miles from Kailua-Kona and 30 miles from Hilo. It was established in August of 1916 as Hawaii National Park, and on 22 Sep 1961, it was renamed Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The park encompasses 230,000 acres and ranges from sea level to the summit of Mauna Loa at 13,677 feet, the world’s largest volcano. It is also home to the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea, which offers scientists insights on the birth of the Hawaiian Islands and features dramatic volcanic landscapes. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was established

As the eruption wore on, it later produced a phase with red hot pyroclastic surges and flows, along with other volcanic material. This was referred to as the “Peléan” phase. These type of eruptions are known for the mentioned pyroclastic flows, along with hot mud surges. (Universe today) This phase was speculated to have begun during the latter part of the eruption, and is largely regarded as the main killer of most of the surrounding inhabitants. (Museum timeline)

There once was a god named Perculus, he was one of the three lost gods that were destroyed by Zeus. He was the god of education; he was responsible for teaching all the citizens of Greece the basic ways of living. Once Zeus got into power he was jealous that someone other than himself was teaching the citizens so he sent him to Hades, along with two other gods for other personal reasons, Diminutive the original god of Truth and, Gargantuan the god of punishment.

This is only a general overview of the inner workings of volcanoes and their eruptions. For more infomation, visit Volcano World -- The Premier Source of Volcano Info on the Web.

Many cultures created different myths that try to explain the reality of volcanoes. The English word volcano is derived from the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. The Greeks later defined Vulcan as the Greek God, Hephaestus. The myth states that Hephaestus was skilled in the art of blacksmithing and metalwork. The Greeks believed his workshop was beneath volcanoes such as Etna in Sicily. The sparks and flames that arose from the volcanoes were thought to be Hephaestus forging weapons for the Olympians. (Daly 122) In the Chinese culture dragons are worshiped and feared. According to Chinese mythology, Fucanglong, the dragon of hidden treasures, lives in the underground and guards the treasures of the earth. It is said that a volcano would erupt when Fucanglong sprung from the earth to the heavens to report on the status of his treasures. (Rosen 63)

A hidden gem this truly is, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Located far off the coast of the United States. Across the Pacific Ocean, one visitor must travel to experience such a beauty. Although, it may be far, this island is not one to shy away from. When you arrive you are welcomed by sunny skies, hot pink sand, rising mountains, and the big blue ocean appearing as a crystal spread across the sea floor. This is exactly what I experienced during my visit!