LOTS OF LAVA: Johan (Joop)
Varekamp, the Harold T. Stearns Professor of Earth Sciences, chair of
the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department, prepares to
launch a homemade "volcano" for his class EES 154, "Volcanoes of the
World" May 8 on Andrus Field. The volcano cell was built by the Wesleyan
Machine Shop and upper-level students using many left over parts from an
old telescope.
Classmates await the homemade volcano, which
was launched by opening a valve from the distance. The cell was filled
with plain water that has been charged it with CO2. The pressure drives
the fluid out of the tank, propelling it up "like a mega champagne
bottle opening event," Varekamp explained.
Varekamp, pictured on far right, uses a rope
to open a valve. The "volcano" erupted to more than 40 feet high
for 11 seconds. The
demonstration concluded the semester. (Photos by Olivia Bartlett)
