Teachers TV: How Science Works: Journey to Etna

Clive Oppenheimer, a volcanologist working on the latest techniques to monitor and predict volcanic eruptions, demonstrates his work at Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily.

Volcanic eruptions pose a real threat to communities living nearby and at their most violent they have wiped out whole cities. Clive is an expert in developing new techniques for monitoring volcanoes. It’s a difficult job, because most of the activity happens deep below ground. He works with scientists around the world, but we follow him on a trip to Mount Etna in Sicily. Clive meets with his research students who monitor the volcanoes. To look at how the latest techniques are developing, he takes a trip up Etna to collect fresh lava samples, then heads to the Institute of Volcanology, about 20 km away, to analyse some of the new data. There are curriculum materials fully integrated with the programme, plus additional CPD materials and bonus web clips.