Module #4

"How do stories of cataclysmic events help inform students about geosciences and culture?

Cataclysmic events ( such as violent earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions) are devastating with sudden and drastic changes to the landscapes upon which people dwell. Human lives can be taken, numbering into the tens of thousands in one quick moment with little to no warning. Students can see live footage of the event's results via news media, inter-net, and satellite connections.

People who live on fault lines, near the coastline or within volcanic activities are aware of these geologic forces and live with the knowledge of past occurrences. I lived on Kodiak Island, Alaska ( a part of the Aleutian chain ) in 1976 and was made aware of the tsunami ( resulting from the 1964 Alaska earthquake) that took out all of the harbor, boats, businesses and one-third of the town residences within minutes on Good Friday. I was told to keep supplies for survival ready in a back pack. There was a tsunami warning siren that would alert all in town to head for high ground.

There were Aleut tales telling of earthquakes and tsunamis in the area in the past. Even dances had the theme of earthquakes, so the future generations would know that area was prone to this movement.Every time there is a cataclysmic event, geoscience is given the fore front where the world seems to learn another facet with updated facts. People are fascinated by drastic occurrences and earthquakes, tsunami and volcanoes fit the bill. The news present background information that gives people more updated and related knowledge than the last event.

To conclude, cataclysmic events occur so suddenly and involve such a large amount of damage and lives lost, that the event becomes ingrained in people's history and culture. One's culture reflects these events in order to warn us and keep us knowledgeable of how dramatic forces are constantly shaping landscapes. Understanding and predicting earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes give greater safety for mankind.