A fair number of questions are from Hawaii teachers about geology, environment and other topics of local interest, Rubin said. Many questions concern Hawaiian volcanoes. General questions are asked about volcanology, seismology, hydrology and sedimentology. People want to know about Hawaii's black sand beaches and they ask about the origins of rock salt, clays, quartz, mudstone and other minerals and rocks. They want to learn more about earthquakes and tsunamis and possible local threats from such hazards.
Students looking to the Web site to do their homework can forget it.
We just sort of don't respond to incredibly general, unthoughtful questions. The site has about 100 pages and Rubin is reorganizing it this summer. He also plans to add a new topic to the site focusing on issues of evolution, creationism and the origin of life. This is a wonderful resource for students wishing to interact with established scientists or educators seeking clear and interesting explanations of natural phenomena.