A kitchen experiment for replicating lava-ice interaction on stratovolcanoes

Abstract

Many Quaternary stratovolcanoes host (or hosted) glacial ice with volumes that have fluctuated in response to long-term global climate cycles. The repeated advance and retreat of ice in valleys on the flanks of volcanoes throughout their eruptive histories has impacted how and where lava flows are emplaced and preserved. Understanding the dynamics of lava-ice interaction is a vital part of reconstructing the growth histories of many stratovolcanoes and can provide valuable clues about the evolution of Earth’s climate. We have constructed a basic experiment, using common kitchen ingredients and utensils, to replicate the interaction between lava flows and glaciers on stratovolcanoes. This article outlines the ingredients and recipes for soda bread (stratovolcano analogy), ice cream (glacier analogies), and sauce (lava flow analogies), and describes exercises that provide qualitative lessons about the morphology of volcanoes, natural hazards, and paleoclimate. As such, the experiment can be used in geoscience outreach demonstrations for students and will assist non-specialist scientists with undertaking field identification of ice-bounded lava flows.