Video Resources

This page provides links and brief descriptions of videos about natural geological and meteorological phenomena, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and floods which can result in disasters. These videos are engaging and informative and can be used as introductions to science material studied in class or as reinforcement for at-home instruction on virtual school days.

As always, watch the videos before showing them or assigning them to your students so you can judge which video is more appropriate for your particular classes.

NeoK12—-Volcanoes
Engaging 3:05 minute video about volcanoes. Site also includes a variety of background material, quizzes, puzzles and links to other videos about volcanoes. Some resources require a paid subscription.
https://www.neok12.com/video/Natural-Disasters/zX47624604537c4154525151.htm

NeoK12—Inside Volcanoes
3:28 minute video about volcanoes. Includes background material and links to other resources. Some resources require a paid subscription.
https://www.neok12.com/video/Natural-Disasters/zX77096343450a5c63717f63.htm

United States Geological Survey (USGS)- Kīlauea Summit Eruption

An engaging and informative 24:08 minute video of an eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Excellent explanations and footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNoJv5Vkumk

UGSG—Mount St. Helens Eruption, 1980.

Great video (7:00 minutes) of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington, 1980.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec30uU0G56U

USGS-Mt. St. Helens: A Catalyst for Change
Description of how the eruption of Mt. St. Helens triggered a growth in volcano science and volcano monitoring. Great footage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC9JnuDuBsU

How Do Tornadoes Form?
A 4:11 minute video describing condition necessary for tornado formation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmWh9jV_1ac

National Geographic—Hurricanes 101
Great footage and explanation of the formation of hurricanes. 2:57 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlXVikDkyTg

Tornadoes 101
A 5:37 minute video about tornado basics, including how they form, how they are rated and where in the country most occur.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aacHWoB7cmY

Learning Junction—Floods
Animated (4:05 minute) video that explains why flooding happens, types of floods and safety tips to prepare for flooding-before, during and after.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udRNUBHbE0o

Bright Side—Hurricane, Tornado, Cyclone: What’s the Difference?
Easy-to-understand, animated video (10:01 minutes) about the differences among hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones. This video contains several ads during the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmHXT10xccM

National Geographic-Earthquakes 101
Great footage and explanations of what causes earthquakes, where they most often occur and why. Good animation of science explanations of faults, seismographs and the Moment Magnitude Scale. (5:01 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_r_nFT2m-Vg

National Geographic -Tsunamis 101
Good explanation of what causes tsunamis and good animations of science content.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oPb_9gOdn4

National Geographic –Volcanoes
A 2:28 minute video that explains what causes volcanoes to form and erupt and shows where they are most likely to be found. Great footage of volcanic eruptions and lava flow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDy28QtdYJY

National Geographic-Wildfires 101
What are wildfires and how do they start? Good explanation that describes how we can prevent destructive wildfires, and how we can manage wildfires to improve the health of forests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hghT1W33cY

NOAA SciJinx-How Do Wildfires Spread?
Good explanation and animation of how wildfires start and how they spread and become dangerous quickly. (2:41 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LYSdM7ysH8

The Weather Channel—How Wildfires Spread
Good explanation of how wildfires spread and the role weather plays in the spread. (2:50 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EprnWrMNpw