Volcanoes and earthquakes: what can museums learn from rolling news?

The Natural History Museum's first gallery to focus on volcanoes and earthquakes opened in 1997 in a space called The Power Within. This might not be a long time ago geologically speaking, but the rate at which natural hazards occur and the constant evolution of science meant the gallery was in desperate need of an update and redevelopment.

The audience that came to visit 17 years ago are now returning with their own children or school groups. This post-internet generation not only have very different expectations, but they thrive on innovative and interactive ways of presenting content: CGI films, live data feeds and audio description among others.

As a centre of scientific research as well as a museum, it's hugely important that we showcase our work and collections through the latest methods of communication, particularly in a gallery that supports the Key Stage 3 and 4 school curriculums. The past two decades have seen a greater understanding of how volcanoes and earthquakes shape our natural world, and our scientists have been instrumental in this.

The new gallery will include video interviews with museum scientist, Dr Chiara Petrone, who regularly does field trips to research some of the world's most active volcanoes. Equipment and notes from her expeditions will be displayed alongside the specimens collected.

The world has witnessed a number of recent large-scale disasters caused by natural forces, such as the 2011 Tsunami in Japan and the 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland. This triggered the need for the gallery to showcase the unpredictable in an emotive yet informative way. The aim was to reveal new understandings about how these geological forces have shaped our planet since its formation, and how they still shape people's lives across the world.

We'll see new scientific understandings, events and human case studies in the lifespan of this new, permanent gallery, likely to be on display for the next 10 to 20 years. But how do we avoid becoming a hostage to the future? How can we keep the gallery current?

Making the most of technology is a good place to start. The exhibition contains several interactive kiosks presenting in-depth information about volcanoes, earthquakes and plate tectonics through video and graphics. As events unfold in the future, and/or as our scientific understanding changes, we can update these kiosks very easily.

Live data streams will also show earthquake data as it happens from around the world, and a dedicated screen at the beginning of the gallery will take visitors on a journey through the most recent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Supporting these digital elements, we've developed a solid exhibition of text and images focused on the fundamental science. This is unlikely to change dramatically, minimising the risk of panels becoming outdated, while digital platforms present recent case studies. Where we do present case studies in text panels we draw on classic examples, such as the eruptions of Vesuvius and Krakatoa, likely to be as relevant to visitors today as they will be in 20 years' time.

We will also be able to use the gallery space for events, bringing our scientists onto the gallery floor to talk about the specimens and their work. The museum runs daily events in its Attenborough Studio where the public can meet and talk to our scientists and educators. This format gives us another opportunity to reflect news events, as we talk about recent eruptions or quakes and contextualise them with our current scientific understanding.

There has been lots of change and we're really excited about unveiling the gallery. And for anyone who does remember the gallery's earthquake simulator, don't worry, it will still be there – some things you just shouldn't change.

Alex Fairhead is curator of the new Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery at the National History Museum – follow it on Twitter @NHM_London

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