Harvey Horowitz, age 11, of Casper, Wyo., for his question:

WHERE IS THE VALLEY OF TEN THOUSAND SMOKES?

Katmai National Park in southwest Alaska was established as a national monument in 1918 and became a national park in 1980. The park contains Katmai Volcano, Novarupta Volcano and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

In June, 1912, the newly formed Novarupta erupted violently, blowing off the entire mountaintop and showering volcanic ash over Kodiak Island and much of the Alaska mainland. The eruption formed the ash filled Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and probably drained molten material from beneath the peak of nearby Katmai, causing the collapse of its top and forming a large crater.

When a National Geographic Society expedition discovered the valley in 1916, they found numerous fumaroles  (vents issuing gases and steam),  only a few of which remain. Katmai crater, about three miles wide and about 3,700 feet deep, is lined with glaciers, some of which flow into the blue gree lake on its floor.

Salmon abound in the park's waters and brown bear, moose and wolf are common.