Volcanology is the scientific discipline devoted to the study of volcanoes, magmatic processes, and related phenomena such as eruptions, fumarolic activity, and volcanic gas emissions. It integrates petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, and tectonics to investigate magma generation, ascent, storage, and eruption dynamics within the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Volcanologists analyze rock, ash, and gas compositions, monitor seismicity, ground deformation, and thermal anomalies, and develop physical and numerical models to understand eruptive behavior and conduit processes. The field also characterizes volcanic hazards, eruption forecasting methodologies, and long-term magmatic fluxes, contributing to broader insights into planetary differentiation, crustal evolution, and volatile cycles on Earth and other terrestrial bodies.
Volcanoes emit smoke. Beneath a volcano lies a huge chamber filled with liquid magma. A series of earthquakes means an eruption is imminent. And if a "supervolcano" like Yellowstone were to awaken, a global catastrophe would ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 19, 2026
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Towering explosions, flowing bright red lava and heroic scientists battling to save communities at risk have become the defining image of volcanoes in popular culture, from disaster films to epic blockbusters. New University ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 29, 2026
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The moon is 384,000 kilometers (239,000 miles) away from Earth, but one of the best places to study its surface is much closer to home. Western planetary scientist Catherine Neish and PhD candidate Sashank Vanga traveled ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 23, 2026
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Two weeks ago, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded three distinct, short-lived explosions in less than five minutes at Taal Volcano. The eruption sent a column of ash and steam up to 1.2 km (0.75 ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 16, 2026
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158
To better assess the danger posed by volcanoes, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a new measurement system. Laser beams are sent through escaping gas clouds and reflected by drones. An ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 12, 2026
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Hovering over the volcano, a buzzing drone pauses in front of a laser beam on the crater's edge as researchers test whether the devices can measure gases to predict eruptions.
Earth Sciences
Jul 12, 2026
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106
Water flowing from hot springs near volcanoes often contains a mixture of meteoric water that has percolated underground and a deeper component known as magmatic water. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba used numerical ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 7, 2026
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A new international study has found that Indigenous oral traditions, some thousands of years old, hold valuable and often overlooked insights into volcanic eruptions—offering important lessons for modern disaster preparedness. ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 24, 2026
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Scientists have shed light on a thermal process in magma that may help explain why similar volcanic systems can produce very different eruptive behaviors.
Earth Sciences
Jun 8, 2026
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161
The plumbing systems of volcanoes are vast and complex. But they aren't consistent, even in the same volcano. A Cornell-led collaboration found very different mechanisms behind two historic eruptions of Mount Etna in Italy. ...
Earth Sciences
Jun 6, 2026
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