Geology Volcanoes and Earthquake - Assignment Example

Lessons from the movies"Back from the Dead" depicts the magnitude of damage that volcanic activity can cause. The movie shows the eruption of Mt. St. Helens as one of the most catastrophic events that occurred in the United States. Both movies give viewers first-hand evidence that volcanic activity can cause economic and human loss. Various things such as disruptions lead to the eruption of hot magma and lava. But those are not the major lessons learned. People who knew the background of Mt St.

Helens were shocked by the events that followed. The events that take place, as shown by both movies, reveal that mountains that occur through volcanic means can reoccur. What is interesting is that a resurgence of plant and animal life invoked the mountain out of its dormancy. Additionally, the movie increase insight regarding causes of environmental and geological shifts, forces that spur eruptions. If geologists and people, in general, can gain a better understanding of the factors behind shifts, the prediction of future eruptions can become easy (Dale, Swanson, and Crisafulli, 7).

Fire Mountain, on the other hand, presents a firsthand experience of one of the biggest natural catastrophes to have occurred that resulted in more 540 million tons of rock and ash being thrown out into the sky. The movie is talking about the same event as Back from the Dead is, but the details and accounts presented in this movie are different from the first one. The video, packed with evolutionary partiality, does not categorically mention how the ecological or geological features came about by the Mt. St. Helens’ eruption in 1980 parallels the creationist explanations more than the evolutionary theory.

However, it gives a good account of what happened, especially with its interviews with survivors, and the viewer can easily draw apparent conclusions. This movie shows how seemingly old, stratified rock can form by ash flows and mud. The movie shows the rapid destruction of canyons. Further, it gives insight regarding argon in lava, which does not escape as other sources state elucidating why dating of lava through potassium-argon is not reliable. This movie offers quality lessons regarding correct elucidation of rock formations.

In addition to that, the video demonstrates natural forces at work to scientists reminding them what they should be on the lookout for in the future (Sachs, 2). In general, the two movies offer insights regarding the before, during, and after events of Mt. St. Helen’s eruption. The information in the first movie appears to recur in the other, but not as much, as each of the clips offers an interesting angle of the volcanic eruption events. Watched together, they complement each other more than they overlap.