Explosive science outreach demonstration planned for July 13

A group of high school students from the University of Wisconsin–Madison Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) will explore science with a bang on Friday, July 13, as they and their instructors erupt a series of artificial "volcanoes."

The instructors, UW–Madison geology graduate students, will simulate the steam eruptions that occur in volcanoes by dropping small containers of liquid nitrogen into garbage cans of water, creating a boom that will be heard across campus and sending plumes of steam and water about three stories into the air.

The explosions will take place beginning at 2:15 p.m. in the outdoor courtyard of Weeks Hall, 1215 W. Dayton St. The demonstration is expected to last about 30 minutes; media are welcome to attend.

PEOPLE is a college preparatory program serving more than 1,000 minority and low-income students from Wisconsin public schools.

For more information about the event, contact instructors MaryRuth Kotelnicki at maryruth@geology.wisc.edu or (608) 469-4203, or Laura Mitchell at ljmitch@geology.wisc.edu.

For information about PEOPLE, contact Lisa Ray Johnson at lrjohnson2@education.wisc.edu or (608) 262-0855, or Jacqueline DeWalt at jadewalt@education.wisc.edu or (608) 265-5722.