Outreach: Volcanoes for elementary school children

On August 5, 2026, the Institute of Earth Sciences was once again actively promoting science education. Alea Joachim was a guest at the KiKuK e. V. association in Falkensee, which had organized a diverse summer program. The volcanologist answered many questions from the nearly 30 curious elementary school children. For example, she showed pictures of the Pacific Ring of Fire, fire-spewing volcanoes, and landscapes covered in lava. The children learned about the unique characteristics and dangers of these natural phenomena. Experiments designed to demonstrate the formation of geological faults or earthquakes (using the “spaghetti machine”) and an erupting underwater volcano (using baking soda in a glass of water) generated particular enthusiasm. Alea Joachim also passed around a selection of mineral samples. This allowed the young scientists to gain a vivid introduction to the field of geosciences. Alea Joachim took special care to present the topic in a way that was appropriate for schoolchildren. Alea Joachim is a researcher at the Institute of Geosciences and is pursuing her Ph.D. in seismology.