TRICIA NADEAU
Muse Science Magazine for Kids|October 2023
Coolest job ever. No, make that the hottest job ever. As a volcanologist, Tricia Nadeau has a front-row seat to erupting volcanoes.
Sarah Miller
TRICIA NADEAU

Recently, these active volcanoes have included Hawai'i's Mauna Loa that erupted in November 2022 and Kilauea that erupted in June 2023. Kilauea's recent event was the fourth in a string of eruptions since 2020.

Nadeau researches the geologic impacts of volcanoes and the gases they produce. Her office is in one of the most beautiful, and geographically diverse, places in the world-Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on the island of Hawaii.

Hot molten lava and explosive displays are part of the job. The volcanoes can be unpredictable, making Nadeau's schedule sometimes irregular. We caught up with her early in the morning the week of Kilauea's June eruption. This event had added to an already busy week for her. She'd just done a scheduled helicopter ride over Mauna Loa.

STUNNING 200FOOT (61-METER) LAVA FOUNTAINS ARE SPEWING FROM KILAUEA AGAIN. CAN YOU TAKE US INTO KILAUEA'S ERUPTION?

Right now, in the daylight, the new liquid lava is shiny and silvery. The very hottest parts where you have those lava fountains show up as orange. When it hardens in the day, lava turns to black. Then at night, anything liquid just glows in oranges, reds, and yellows.

FASCINATING! TELL US ABOUT YOUR WEEK.

Here at the volcano observatory, we all rotate being "duty scientists." That means we check the data and make sure things don't escalate for those out in the field. I took over on Tuesday, and that evening I received a text alert of seismic activity. We received warnings all through the night. Then around 3 a.m., activity ramped up so much that we changed the alert level. An hour later, lava showed up in the summit crater. 

Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE MUSE SCIENCE MAGAZINE FOR KIDSVer todo
Who's Your Cousin?
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Who's Your Cousin?

The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2024
Is it possible to die of boredom?
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Is it possible to die of boredom?

To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.

time-read
1 min  |
April 2024
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL

Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.

time-read
2 minutos  |
April 2024
SERGE WICH
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

SERGE WICH

Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.

time-read
5 minutos  |
April 2024
ELODIE FREYMANN
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

ELODIE FREYMANN

When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.

time-read
5 minutos  |
April 2024
Guardians of the Forest
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Guardians of the Forest

EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.

time-read
5 minutos  |
April 2024
APE ANTICS
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

APE ANTICS

The Whirling World of primate play

time-read
6 minutos  |
April 2024
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

Dr. Ape Will See You Now

HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY  PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2024
THE LEFT OVERS
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

THE LEFT OVERS

A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.

time-read
6 minutos  |
April 2024
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
Muse Science Magazine for Kids

SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?

What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.

time-read
3 minutos  |
April 2024