Want to make a volcanic eruption at home but don’t have baking soda, vinegar, or paper mache?

Then check out

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/pompeii/interactive/interactive.html

The Discovery Channel online has created an interactive website where visitors can not only use as a tool to broaden their geographic knowledge about the inner workings and facts of various types of volcanoes but, more excitingly, users can create and their own volcanoes!

The fascinating and fun aspect of this site is that when you first enter the page you are directed to 4 links. The first three links include the Overview, covering Global Perspective, Volcano Types, and Inside a Volcano. The fourth link is, in my opinion, the most fun and insightful. This link will direct you to a Virtual Volcano where you, as a volcano explorer, can build your own volcano and then watch its impacts as it erupts. To build your volcano, you decide the viscosity of the magma and the extent of gas/pressure you want to launch it. Once you’ve set your conditions, watch your virtual volcano erupt!

The video first presents what kind of volcano you’ve created and then goes through all the effects that emerge as the volcano erupts. Furthermore, it labels the key aspects of the eruption and the user can also click on the aspects’ respective links to learn more about them and their effects.

For student geographers, this is a great site to discover more details about volcanoes from its creation, eruption, and after effects. Even better, it’s a lot of fun!