MQ_Dante's Peak (1)-JRH
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Temple University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
0836
Subject
Astronomy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
2
Uploaded by DukeScorpion1501
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 produce ash? How can rocks burn/melt?
- Volcanic ash is formed after a volcano erupts, Gasses from magma are then produced into the environment vigorously. The gasses force the magma into the atmosphere where it solidifies into a rock form. Rocks then melt. Rocks melt after 1, 315 degrees Celsius and those temperatures are harder to reach.
2.
What volcanic hazard kills Harry’s girlfriend?
-The volcano erupts, and a massive chunk of Lava that has cooled hits Henry’s truck and kills his girlfriends.
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.
-Geospychist stated they were seeing signs of volcanic activity like bulges and new steam vents.
-
Small earthquakes started to take place in 1980. -
Magma turning into lava starts rising from the earth’s crust into a mass amount of pools
4.
Describe anything you saw in these clips that you think might be scientifically questionable.
-One of the things that drew my attention was the seismicity of the earthquakes appeared to be far
too large. It’s common for volcanic activity to do earthquakes but not to the magnitude that a portrayed in the film.
5.
Explain Harry’s “proof” that Dante’s Peak is a “ticking time bomb?”
-The earth that occurred during the school meeting Harry for example is proof that Dante’s peak
EES 0836
was on the verge of erupting.
6.
What caused the helicopter crash?
-The massive amount of volcanic air caused the helicopter to crash after causing its engine to fail,
the pilot lost control of the helicopter which caused the crash into the house.
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?
- I would say the family wouldn’t have been able to use the boat for that long if the lake had been made acidic to its entirely by the volcano. In the film, they rode it for a long time duration all while realizing the lake is acidic. Once the boar hit the water it would have started to dissolve almost instantly 8.
Harry dramatically drives through a lava flow. Do you think this is possible? Provide a couple of sentences to explain your reasoning.
- Harry’s car would have been able to survive the lava flow. Lava flow temperature reaches up to a whopping 2,00 degrees Fahrenheit. As stated above that is hot enough to melt rock, the rubber from the tire on Harry’s car would almost immediately melt due to the fact rubber meets at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. After the rubber, it would lead to the base of the car which is made of a mix of metal and plastic material.
9.
In the end, did the order of volcanic hazards make sense? Does something not add up? What, if anything, is out of place?
-
The hazards in Dante Peak appeared to be fairly accurate, there were a few parts of the movie
that were inaccurate, for example, the acid lake piqued my interest because of the potential consequences. The lake was streaming and there were floats of dead fish, but the boat was fine until the family was rescued.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help