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September 4, 1996, the most dangerous place to be
in the world was the island of Montserrat. The volcano
which had given birth to this Caribbean paradise
was now threatening to destroy it. For several months
the island's residents had been anticipating a potentially
catastrophic eruption and had begun the evacuation
process. Little did they expect that the tropical
storm brewing 400 miles away would head in their
direction, developing into a full-blown hurricane.
Student Activities:
Students prepare for 4 weeks prior to mission
day. First they select an area of expertise. They
must decide which facet of Earth system science
interests them: the biosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere
or hydrosphere. Then they are assigned to an emergency
response team (ERT) and fill out a team application,
complete with resumes. In the following weeks,
they engage in preparatory activities in which
they collect data about emergency events, analyze
the data, and learn to make logical recommendations
based upon scientific analysis.
On mission day, students join one of four crisis
management teams and use their science knowledge
and math skills to avert possible disaster. Eight
thousand residents' lives are in the balance.
In a two-hour period, volcano teams and hurricane
teams rally to analyze the data and determine
the risks to the people of the island. The data
is presented to the evacuation team, which then
determines a plan of action for saving the islanders.
Teams:
Communications:
Communicates all verbal and written communications
between Mission Control and the other teams
Volcano: Downloads
and analyzes seismic data from a satellite; make
predictions of volcano activity and forwards to
other teams
Hurricane:
Downloads data on the hurricane location and intensity.
Tracks path and speed and predicts the impact
upon the island. Forwards predictions to the other
teams
Evacuation:
Researches the Island of Montserrat in preparation
for the threatening volcano and hurricane. Determines
what evacuation procedures to relay to the island
via Communications and Mission Control
Find out
about Challenger's Role in e-Mission: Operation
Montserrat!
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