Students learn about volcanoes

WASHOUGAL — First-graders at Columbia River Gorge Elementary learned about volcanoes from special guest speaker Peter Kelly, a research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory. His daughter, Sonja, also presented as his assistant. They let students know about what a volcano is, what makes them erupt, their hazards, and how scientists help provide guidance to protect communities. Kelly works in the USGS Volcano Hazards Program. “I monitor volcanoes to understand when an eruption might be expected and how big it may be,” he said in a news release. “That information is supplied to land managers and decision-makers to keep people safe.” Kelly also talked about the importance of failure in the scientific process. “Working through and learning though failure is an important life skill for scientists or anyone,” he said.