SolfataraMay 28, 1999 | |
| On May 28, I was insane enough to act as a chaperone for Katy's first grade class on a field trip to Solfatara. Solfatara is another volcano in the area with interesting things going on. It hasn't erupted since the 12th century AD, but that doesn't mean it's inactive. There are campgrounds in the park, mostly to use the ancient steam baths, and of course swarms of scientists to check the volcanic activity. |
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The first thing you will notice is that it is hot. The second thing you will notice is that it is humid. You don't realize just how humid it is until the tour guide shows you a little science experiment. With one wave of his torch, steam we didn't know was rising up around us magically appeared. Only about 1% of the steam is visible to the human eye, but rest assured, you feel each and every bit of it. It's great for the pores and many visitors use it for a whole range of medical conditions. I certainly felt as if I were in a huge sauna, and it wasn't even summer yet. |
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| Katy and her classmates were given a four page worksheet to fill out, answering questions about the volcano and things they saw inside. After all, this was still a class assignment! |
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The hot, bubbling mud is too dangerous to get near, and it's a little creepy to realize just what you're standing on. The ground you walk across inside is a mere few inches thick. Beneath that is pressurized steam, heated by the lava beneath it. The tour guide compared the ground to a pie crust. As it heats, the "crust" rises and falls and bubbles. He poked a stick into the earth and steam shot out of it. Then he bounced a rock on the ground and we heard it echo. It was like standing on a bass drum. That was enough demonstration for my taste. |
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To give you an idea of just how much steam is produced constantly by this volcano, there are plants growing along the walls of it that usually only grow underwater. The place stays green year round, regardless of rainfall. |
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But in this place that is so alien you feel as if you've stepped onto the surface of the moon, there is even room for advertising. *grin*[Back]
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