Participants who log on to the eField Trips Web site are treated to a virtual visit to explore Hawaiian volcanoes and the landscapes they create. Students can complete worksheets as they navigate through the virtual visit to reinforce their learning.

Earlier in the week, students were able to "Ask the Experts," e-mailing questions that Makuakane-Jarrell attempted to answer. Almost 135 questions were submitted, most about volcanoes, such as "How do volcanoes form?" and "Why does sulphur stink?"

But students also were curious about Hawai'i and what it's like to be a park ranger. They asked about the Hawaiian alphabet, sea turtles and other native animals, and Pele the Fire Goddess. They also asked whether a park ranger's job is dangerous and how many scientists have been killed while studying volcanoes.

The questions kept pouring in during yesterday's Web chats, which were scheduled to accommodate East and West Coast time zones.

"It was fabulous. It was so hectic, the questions were coming so quickly," Makuakane-Jarrell said. "The kids were really, really interested and excited about this live chat, and so were we. I hadn't done this before."

During the online sessions, the park ranger was on the phone with technicians in Arizona, where Distance Learning Integrators Inc. is located. They would relay the questions to her, then type up her answers. She said she was stumped a couple of times on questions about Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy, and other queries not related to Hawai'i.

The eField Trip material was geared for middle schoolers, but Makuakane-Jarrell said she heard from students in second grade up through high school.

Tami McQuillan, an eighth-grade teacher at Gillett Middle School in Wisconsin, said she traveled to the Big Island with her husband last summer and hiked to where the lava is flowing from Kilauea. "It was just so awesome, and between our pictures and videos, we had our kids all fired up to study volcanoes, and then we found out about the eField Trip. It was a perfect way to show the kids live pictures and the science behind volcanoes," she said.

Using computers to ask questions and experience the Web site's virtual tours, sound effects and other features made the material all the more engaging to her students, McQuillan said.

"It's something different from a textbook," she said.

Makuakane-Jarrell said there are no plans to repeat the "Ask the Experts" and live Web chat sessions, although the virtual visits and other material will continue to be available on the eField Trip Web site and eventually on the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Web site. She said park staff have discussed ways to expand the information.

Other eFieldTrips offered by Distance Learning Integrators focus on national parks such as Death Valley in California and Denali in Alaska; historical events such as the attack on Pearl Harbor; and environmental topics such as sea turtles and invasive species.

Reach Christie Wilson at (808) 244-4880 or cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Q&A of melting shoes and respect for pele

Here is a sampling of questions posed via e-mail to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Ranger Joni-Mae Makuakane-Jarrell, and her answers:

Q: How long will it be until Mauna Loa erupts, because I live on the slopes of Mauna Loa?

A: Scientists know that Mauna Loa will erupt again in the near future, but cannot say for sure when it will erupt.

Q: Is it really bad luck to pick up a volcanic rock and bring it home?

A: There are many stories that Pele, the Goddess of Fire, does not want the beautiful lava she has created to be taken away. Hawaiian people feel that every part of the volcano is part of the body of Pele and that it would be very disrespectful to remove any of her rocks. There are also other stories that say a park ranger many years ago started this story so that people would not take rocks out of the park. Actually, it is illegal to remove things found in any national park.

Q: What has been your most dangerous mission?