MQ_Dante's Peak
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Dec 6, 2023
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EES 0836
Dante’s Peak Movie Questions
Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood
Introduction
A volcanologist arrives at a countryside town recently named the second most desirable place to live in
America, and discovers that the long dormant volcano, Dante's Peak, may wake up at any moment.
-
imdb.com
Learning Objectives
●
Critically assess the portrayal of science, forecasting, and eruptive behavior of Dante’s Peak in
the movie Dante’s Peak (1997).
(4, b)
Part 1:
Watch the movie
As you are watching the video clips, look for the answers to the following questions.
1.
In the opening scene of Dante’s Peak, Harry and his girlfriend are trying to escape during a
volcanic eruption. Visibility is poor because of falling volcanic ash. Do volcanoes really produce
ash? How can rocks burn/melt?
-
Yes, volcanic eruptions do consist of ash, which is tiny grains of fragmented rock. This ash
will desecrate nearby communities and cover land hundreds of miles away.
2.
What volcanic hazard kills Harry’s girlfriend?
- Pyroclastic flow
3.
When Harry, the mayor, and her kids visit Grandma’s cabin, there is foreshadowing of disaster.
List at least four signs (precursors) that Dante’s Peak is about to awaken.
-
1. Harry notices dead fish in the water
-
2. The water he tests at the lake is more acidic than usual
-
3. High gas emissions in the area
-
4. Hot springs is warmer than usual.
4.
Describe anything you saw in these clips that you think might be scientifically questionable.
-
The main questionable scene to me is when their running from the pyroclastic flow, when in
reality, you cannot outrun that
-
Another question in the film would be the area around the volcano, as it might not be what it
would really look like geographically.
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-
At one point it shows a man driving through the lahar, which is impossible as it is very dense
and rough with the amount of debris involved.
5.
Explain Harry’s “proof” that Dante’s Peak is a “ticking time bomb?”
-
The points that coincide with the “ticking timebomb” are the points in which answered
number 3, which were the signs of a volcanic eruption was bound to occur.
-
1. Harry notices dead fish in the water
-
2. The water he tests at the lake is more acidic than usual
-
3. High gas emissions in the area
-
4. Hot springs is warmer than usual.
6.
What caused the helicopter crash?
-
After some research, the crash was caused by the fumarole explosion in the volcano, which
surprised the helicopter
7.
The film shows our hero et al. riding a boat that is rapidly dissolving in a lake made acidic by the
volcano. What part do you think is real, and where has Hollywood exaggerated to create drama?
-
Although the lake will be more acidic than usual, the lake won’t be that acidic that it melts a
boat, which is exaggerated.
8.
The eruption melts the snow off the top of the mountain (volcano), which affects the surrounding
rivers.
It looks like muddy water flowed down Dante’s Peak, what is the scientific term for these
“flows?”
-
The name of these muddy flows are lahars when water mixes with the volcanic downfall.
9.
Harry dramatically drives through a lava flow. Do you think this is possible? Provide a couple
sentences to explain your reasoning.
-
As expected, driving through a lava flow is not possible, as the lava is just too hot.
10.
In the end, did the order of volcanic hazards make sense? Does something not add up? What, if
anything, is out of place?
EES 0836
-
I did not see anything out of place
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