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Item Cultural super volcano: a cultural history of Yellowstone's hot spot via eco-paranoia(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Atwood, Erin; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Brett WalkerPeople who experienced previous natural disasters later develop a characteristic of miscalculating risk in current and future natural disasters due to the emotional intensity of fear clouding their capability to estimate their true danger in such scenarios. Eco-Paranoia is termed in this thesis as a foundational reasoning for the miscalculation. The oversight of risk due to overrunning fear currently elevates anxiety towards Yellowstone National Park's anticipated super eruption. What fuels these fears and causes humans to exhibit irrational decisions during natural disasters? Outside influences such as the mass media, first-hand disaster experience, historic response to cultural shifts in ideologies, and human response to fear and insecurities generate the miscalculated risk that results in a shift in human thinking and behavior. An analysis into the experiences of Mt. St. Helens survivors is included to help interpret modern human response to volcanic eruptions into a speculation of reaction with a Yellowstone eruption. The need to understand the function of fear as it activates human thought and behavior is elaborated on to analyze its influencing impact. Culturally, the public attuned their attention to other characteristics of the park besides the massive hot spot below when the park was first established. Fear of a destructive explosion lingered far off in their minds. All of these historical factors lead to further understanding how and why the current public is attuned, anxious, and paranoid about destructive volcanic activity in Yellowstone National Park. Eco-Paranoia, as exhibited through this thesis discusses the influence of people's constructed beliefs and ideologies that ultimately cause them to be fearful and paranoid for something that does not necessarily deserve such worry; the clouding of calculating risk due to fear during natural disasters. By nature, humans succumb to their emotions of fear and ultimately are the cause of their distress in natural disaster situations.Item Considerations for producing media for science museum exhibits : a volcano video case study(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2013) Sable, Julia Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Dennis AigWhile science museums continue to expand their use of videos in exhibits, they are also seeking to add engaging content to their websites in the hope of reaching broader audiences. As a cost-effective way to do both, I propose developing a video for a museum website that can be easily adapted for use in an exhibit. The priorities and ideologies of science museums differ radically from those of science and nature television networks. This paper explores the needs of museums, identifying key contrasts with television, and shows how those needs are reflected in the content, form, and style of the two-part science video Living in Pele's Paradise. Through the story of the spectacular 1959-60 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, the video shows how research and monitoring contribute to helping communities prepare for volcanic hazards. I highlight the characteristics that make the video appropriate for a science museum through comparisons with recent volcano documentaries for television. I also discuss the changes needed to adapt the web video for a museum exhibit.Item Effects of volcanic ash on the insect food of the Montserrat Oriole Icterus oberi Lawrence 1880(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Agriculture, 2005) Marske, Katharine Ann; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Michael A. Ivie.The Montserrat Oriole, Icterus oberi Lawrence, endemic to the West Indian island of Montserrat, has grown critically endangered since volcanic eruption began on that island in 1995. The Soufriere Hills Volcano has devastated much of the oriole's native habitat, and populations within intact forests have plummeted in recent years. One hypothesized cause for the Montserrat Oriole's decline is that low insect prey numbers during the nesting season, as a result of volcanic ash in the environment, is resulting in increased nest failure. The hypothesis of a negative effect of ash on canopy arthropods was tested. Four sites, varying in the level of ash deposition they typically receive, were sampled via canopy fogging over a 14-month period. Results indicate that ash is having a significant negative impact on canopy arthropods, particularly at the sampling sites closest to the volcano, but that the decline is limited to a few insect taxa.