Lava Flow
We're Julia and Briana, and we live on the island of Hawai'i, where lots of lava can be found! Lava flows are very unique environments. They look like a cross between the moon and a gigantic parking lot! Even though volcanoes have been erupting here for thousands of years, much of the big island is full of green plants. We stopped by the Volcanoes National Park Visitors Center to find out how that could be. Our question: How do plants return to an area wiped out by a lava flow?
Download Now (248 kb)We're Julia and Briana, and we live on the island of Hawai'i, where lots of lava can be found! Lava flows are very unique environments. They look like a cross between the moon and a gigantic parking lot! Even though volcanoes have been erupting here for thousands of years, much of the big island is full of green plants. We stopped by the Volcanoes National Park Visitors Center to find out how that could be. Our question: How do plants return to an area wiped out by a lava flow?
How would you investigate this question?
Ever notice plants growing out of cracks in concrete or pavement? Do a study of the kinds of plants that are able to take root in those cracks. Describe your investigation in your notebook and discuss it with your teacher, or go to Lava Flow to learn more about what Julia and Briana discovered.
