Gelatin Diffusion

Teaching Diffusion Chronometry
(and much more!)

Diffusion chronometry is a tool in the geosciences that is rapidly increasing in usage, so it is worthwhile to teach to geoscience students. Diffusion itself is a fundamental process that influences many scientific fields. The exercise that has been developed, in collaboration with Maria Dias and Linda Sobolewski (Ruhr-Universität Bochum), as well as Andrea Tonato, William Nelson, Nabila Nizam, and Tom Shea (University of Hawai'i at Mānoa), can also be used to teach other core concepts. Although we have some suggested lessons to incorporate, this exercise is highly adaptable and other creative minds can modify and improve everything!

Gelatin diffusion exercise basics

The exercise uses two basic ingredients:

Gelatin
Food coloring

And simple measurement tools:

Something to measure length (e.g., ruler, tape measure, calipers)
Any kind of camera to capture photos

Plus, a computer for processing the data

For the rest, read through the document below!

For more information about the math of diffusion and applications in volcanology, look at the poster below, presented at the IAVCEI 2023 meeting

Diffusion modeling codes

Information for finding the different codes to fit color profiles will be available here by the time the manuscript of this work is submitted for publication (December 2023)

Teaching Diffusion Chronometry(and much more!)

​Gelatin diffusion exercise basics

Diffusion modeling codes

Teaching Diffusion Chronometry
(and much more!)

Gelatin diffusion exercise basics