Highlights from a typical UHH Geology Department field trip. Students visit lava flows from Kilauea volcano with UHH Professor Ken Hon, accompanied by USGS scientist Matt Patrick. The scientists document the eruption with video and still cameras, and the students learn how to map the perimeter of the active flow by marking GPS waypoints. Students collect lava samples, quenching the molten rock in a coffee can full of water; the cooled samples will later be analyzed in the lab to determine the precise chemical composition of the lava. Changes in the chemical composition provide clues as to the origin of the lava (fresh magma from the hot spot, or fractionated from a magma chamber, or a mixture). This video was shot in March 2008. Planning to get your undergraduate degree in Geology? There's no better place than the University of Hawaii at Hilo. Visit our web site for more information. hilo.hawaii.edu/~geology