This page contains the material submitted to the local paper - The Davis Enterprise - for Explorit Science Center's news column published in that paper on Fridays.

Did you know that volcanoes exist 8,000 to 11,000 feet beneath the surface of the ocean? When we think of volcanoes, we often think of volcanoes that we can see, like Mount St. Helens. However, many volcanoes exist out of sight, hidden at the bottom of the sea floor where they are part of the longest chain of mountains in the world.

Learn more about underwater volcanoes and other mysteries of the deep at Explorit Science Center tomorrow at 2 p.m. As part of Explorit’s free “Meet the Scientist” program, marine geophysicist Jim McClain will show videos and slides of his work exploring the ocean floor. He will also share artifacts collected from the ocean floor and answer questions from visitors of all ages.

McClain will discuss how he and his team of scientists study volcanoes and other phenomena 11,000 feet beneath the surface of the sea. On the ocean floor, there is no sunlight. Scientists must use specially designed submarines to observe underwater animals and exotic rock formations.

About 60 percent of the Earth’s surface is made up of deep oceans. At the bottom of these oceans is the mid-ocean ridge system, called the MOR. The MOR is the longest chain of mountains in the world, extending through all four oceans for about 40,000 miles. The MOR is made up of mostly volcanic mountains.

The MOR has experienced volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that have changed the shape and temperature of the ocean floor. The interaction of volcanic eruptions with ocean water has caused the formation of hot springs. The normal temperature of water at the sea floor is 2 degrees Celsius, which is almost freezing. Yet, scientists have found hot springs that are 350 degrees Celsius. That’s 660 degrees Fahrenheit!

These unusually hot temperatures result in mineral deposits that shape incredible rock formations. In addition, the animals and plants that live at the bottom of the ocean, without sunlight, are different from anything we have ever seen on land.

At Explorit of Saturday, McClain will introduce visitors to the life and rock formations that continue to surprise and astonish scientists. Mr. McClain has a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Washington, with a specialization in marine geophysics. Since 1981, he has taught geophysics at the University of California, Davis, with the Department of Geology.

Explorit’s current hands-on exhibition, called “Measure for Measure: Sizing up Your World,” will also be open on Saturday, from 11 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The exhibition takes an interactive approach to exploring different systems of measurement as well as the variety of ways that we can measure our own body.

The “Meet the Scientist” program is free. The hands-on exhibition is $3.00 per person.

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Through partnerships with area foundations and corporations, Explorit is able to provide unique hands-on programs to members of our community. Explorit wishes to acknowledge these organizations for their support.

The Intel Foundation has generously awarded Explorit a grant to provide science workshops to all elementary school teachers in the Buckeye Union School District, in El Dorado county. Between Sept. 28 and April 18, Explorit will present five workshops to all of the teachers in all four schools. Workshops will focus on integrating inquiry into the science curriculum.

Each workshop will invite teachers to experiment with a variety of science activities connected to the California state content standards. Teachers will have a chance to get messy and perform their own investigations in order to experience first-hand the benefits of inquiry-based approach in the classroom.

Special thanks to the Thomas J. Long Foundation for a recent grant supporting our new Health in Your World outreach program initiative. The grant will partially sponsor the development of health-related science education activities.

The activities will be used initially as part of Explorit’s fall exhibition “Measure for Measure: Sizing up Your World” and then packaged for traveling and evaluation with Explorit’s existing Science in Your World program later this year.

Two local corporations are also partnering with Explorit to bring science education to our community. The Nehemiah Housing Corporation is supporting a family science program at Fairytale Town in Sacramento later this year. Also, Washington Mutual is supporting a Science In Your World program at Valley Oak Elementary on Wednesday.

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