Underwater volcanoes are some of the least visible — but most important — geological features on Earth. Scientist Dr. Isobel Yeo studies these deep-sea volcanoes near the Greek island of Santorini using remotely-operated underwater robots. These robotic tools allow researchers to safely explore volcanic regions and locate hydrothermal vents, where hot gases and fluids escape from cracks in Earth’s crust.
Her team is focused on understanding how underwater eruptions behave differently from those on land. The surrounding water pressure, temperature, and ocean currents can all influence how magma and gases move during an eruption. By studying these systems, scientists can improve predictions of volcanic activity and better understand potential risks.
Although an eruption is not expected soon, this research is important for improving early warning systems and helping nearby coastal communities prepare for future volcanic events.
Travel across the islands of Indonesia with this colorful one-page fact file for Grades 3–8. Students will explore Indonesia’s geography, history, culture, wildlife, and government while learning about thousands of islands, volcanoes and coral reefs, tropical rainforests, unique animals such as Komodo dragons and orangutans, and the traditions of Indonesia’s many cultures.
You can use this fact file to:
- Introduce a geography or social studies unit
- Support nonfiction reading practice
- Compare countries and cultures
- Complete map and research activities
- Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Discover Italy’s natural wonders and cultural treasures! In this fun worksheet, you'll:
- Learn what makes a stratovolcano, why Mount Vesuvius is famous, and how Naples shaped pizza history.
- Locate Italy on a map.
- Color a pizza.
- Identify shapes.
Welcome to Zavodovski — a volcanic island that lives in the icy waters north of Antarctica. First watch Volcanic Islands Create a Penguin Sanctuary, a short clip from the award-winning BBC series Planet Earth. Sir David Attenborough introduces you to the world’s largest chinstrap penguin colony, which thrives despite (and in some cases, because of) its treacherous seas and active volcano.
Once your students have watched the video, invite them to check for understanding with this quick, 8-question quiz!
Meet one of the world's strangest reptiles — the seagoing iguana! First watch Marine Iguanas in the Galápagos Quiz, a short clip from the award-winning BBC series Planet Earth. Sir David Attenborough explains how these unique lizards have adapted to graze on underwater algae, a critical food source on this young, volcanic island in the Galápagos.
Once your students have watched the video, invite them to check for understanding with this quick, 8-question quiz!
From the scorching surface of Mercury to the icy winds of Neptune, this BBC Learning Hub playlist takes you on an awe-inspiring voyage across our celestial neighborhood. Explore the mysteries of alien worlds, witness dramatic planetary weather, uncover the origins of Saturn’s rings, and ponder life on Mars. Whether you're a curious stargazer or a space science enthusiast, these video clips from landmark BBC series like The Planets and Wonders of the Solar System will ignite learner's imagination and deepen your cosmic curiosity.
In Erosion and Evolution, geologist Iain Stewart explains that rivers and volcanoes have shaped the Earth in dramatic ways. Rivers sweep rock and debris with them as they head toward the ocean, preparing for new land to form downstream. Scientists have found the conditions that mimic those found when the Earth was young around volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. The changing amounts of ice on the planet also impact how modern man has adapted. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
Get ready to meet the cold-blooded superstars of the animal kingdom! This BBC playlist slinks, scuttles, and snaps through the fascinating lives of cobras, turtles, lizards, and alligators. Whether it's the mesmerizing hood dance of a cobra or the alligator's toothy grin, these clips are perfect for sparking curiosity (and maybe a little squeamishness) in your classroom. Warning: May cause students to say "Whoa!" and "Ew!" in equal measure.
In Venus’s Landscape of Lava, Professor Brian Cox visits India to get a better understanding of how high temperatures helped create the Venus we see today. Venus, often called Earth’s twin, has the hottest average surface temperature besides the Sun in the Solar System, and it's covered in over 50,000 volcanoes. Beneath the green foliage of India, the landscape of lava is very similar to Venus. This video is excerpted from BBC's Wonders of the Solar System, a spellbinding documentary series that explores the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the Solar System.
The article "Volcanic Activity Around the Globe: Earthquakes, Eruptions, and the Threats They Pose" from BBC's Science Focus explores the recent volcanic activity across the globe. It covers the earthquakes in Iceland's Svartsengi geothermal plant, the eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily, and the ongoing rumbling of 45 other volcanoes, including Mayon and Krakatau.
The article "New Computer Model Helps Predict Volcano Eruptions More Accurately" from BBC's Science Focus details how scientists have created a model that improves eruption forecasts. By analyzing historical data from Italy’s Campi Flegrei, the model enhances predictions and helps in disaster preparedness.
In The Creation of the Andes, learn how the Andes were created by forces deep in the Earth's crust. The subduction of the ocean floor causes molten rock to rise, creating volcanoes — almost 200 of them along the west of the continent. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.
Underwater volcanoes are some of the least visible — but most important — geological features on Earth. Scientist Dr. Isobel Yeo studies these deep-sea volcanoes near the Greek island of Santorini using remotely-operated underwater robots. These robotic tools allow researchers to safely explore volcanic regions and locate hydrothermal vents, where hot gases and fluids escape from cracks in Earth’s crust.
Her team is focused on understanding how underwater eruptions behave differently from those on land. The surrounding water pressure, temperature, and ocean currents can all influence how magma and gases move during an eruption. By studying these systems, scientists can improve predictions of volcanic activity and better understand potential risks.
Although an eruption is not expected soon, this research is important for improving early warning systems and helping nearby coastal communities prepare for future volcanic events.
Travel across the islands of Indonesia with this colorful one-page fact file for Grades 3–8. Students will explore Indonesia’s geography, history, culture, wildlife, and government while learning about thousands of islands, volcanoes and coral reefs, tropical rainforests, unique animals such as Komodo dragons and orangutans, and the traditions of Indonesia’s many cultures.
You can use this fact file to:
- Introduce a geography or social studies unit
- Support nonfiction reading practice
- Compare countries and cultures
- Complete map and research activities
- Prepare students for projects or presentations (use our country report template!)
- Pair with videos, articles, or other informational texts (see Related Resources below)
Discover Italy’s natural wonders and cultural treasures! In this fun worksheet, you'll:
- Learn what makes a stratovolcano, why Mount Vesuvius is famous, and how Naples shaped pizza history.
- Locate Italy on a map.
- Color a pizza.
- Identify shapes.
Welcome to Zavodovski — a volcanic island that lives in the icy waters north of Antarctica. First watch Volcanic Islands Create a Penguin Sanctuary, a short clip from the award-winning BBC series Planet Earth. Sir David Attenborough introduces you to the world’s largest chinstrap penguin colony, which thrives despite (and in some cases, because of) its treacherous seas and active volcano.
Once your students have watched the video, invite them to check for understanding with this quick, 8-question quiz!
Meet one of the world's strangest reptiles — the seagoing iguana! First watch Marine Iguanas in the Galápagos Quiz, a short clip from the award-winning BBC series Planet Earth. Sir David Attenborough explains how these unique lizards have adapted to graze on underwater algae, a critical food source on this young, volcanic island in the Galápagos.
Once your students have watched the video, invite them to check for understanding with this quick, 8-question quiz!
From the scorching surface of Mercury to the icy winds of Neptune, this BBC Learning Hub playlist takes you on an awe-inspiring voyage across our celestial neighborhood. Explore the mysteries of alien worlds, witness dramatic planetary weather, uncover the origins of Saturn’s rings, and ponder life on Mars. Whether you're a curious stargazer or a space science enthusiast, these video clips from landmark BBC series like The Planets and Wonders of the Solar System will ignite learner's imagination and deepen your cosmic curiosity.
In Erosion and Evolution, geologist Iain Stewart explains that rivers and volcanoes have shaped the Earth in dramatic ways. Rivers sweep rock and debris with them as they head toward the ocean, preparing for new land to form downstream. Scientists have found the conditions that mimic those found when the Earth was young around volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. The changing amounts of ice on the planet also impact how modern man has adapted. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Earth: The Power of the Planet, a documentary series in which Dr. Iain Stewart discovers how Earth's forces can shape nature, species, and even the climate.
Get ready to meet the cold-blooded superstars of the animal kingdom! This BBC playlist slinks, scuttles, and snaps through the fascinating lives of cobras, turtles, lizards, and alligators. Whether it's the mesmerizing hood dance of a cobra or the alligator's toothy grin, these clips are perfect for sparking curiosity (and maybe a little squeamishness) in your classroom. Warning: May cause students to say "Whoa!" and "Ew!" in equal measure.
In Venus’s Landscape of Lava, Professor Brian Cox visits India to get a better understanding of how high temperatures helped create the Venus we see today. Venus, often called Earth’s twin, has the hottest average surface temperature besides the Sun in the Solar System, and it's covered in over 50,000 volcanoes. Beneath the green foliage of India, the landscape of lava is very similar to Venus. This video is excerpted from BBC's Wonders of the Solar System, a spellbinding documentary series that explores the most extreme locations on Earth to explain how the laws of physics carved natural wonders across the Solar System.
The article "Volcanic Activity Around the Globe: Earthquakes, Eruptions, and the Threats They Pose" from BBC's Science Focus explores the recent volcanic activity across the globe. It covers the earthquakes in Iceland's Svartsengi geothermal plant, the eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily, and the ongoing rumbling of 45 other volcanoes, including Mayon and Krakatau.
The article "New Computer Model Helps Predict Volcano Eruptions More Accurately" from BBC's Science Focus details how scientists have created a model that improves eruption forecasts. By analyzing historical data from Italy’s Campi Flegrei, the model enhances predictions and helps in disaster preparedness.
In The Creation of the Andes, learn how the Andes were created by forces deep in the Earth's crust. The subduction of the ocean floor causes molten rock to rise, creating volcanoes — almost 200 of them along the west of the continent. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Seven Worlds, One Planet, a series featuring remarkable animal behavior from all seven continents.