Volcanoes

Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell answers your questions in the second season of the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Dr. Is In.”

What Is Hotter Than the Sun?

Get the facts from Smithsonian geologist Liz Cottrell in the latest episode of "The Doctor Is In."

Mauna Kea as seen from the Mauna Loa observatory.

Mauna Kea’s Quakes Might Be Caused by Shifting Gas

The volcano has been rumbling regularly for years, but it’s nothing to worry about

Installation view of the British Museum's "Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum" exhibition

Take a Free Video Tour of Blockbuster Pompeii and Herculaneum Exhibition

Available to stream on YouTube and Facebook, the 82-minute film revisits the British Museum's popular 2013 show

With 650 million cubic yards of dirt and stone, the unstable hillside identified by researchers at Barry Arm would possibly lead to one of the largest tsunamis the area has ever endured.

Potential Landslide Could Trigger Destructive Tsunami in Alaska, Scientists Warn

The natural disaster could strike Prince William Sound at any point within the next 20 years

Evidence suggests “[t]he piles outside the walls weren’t material that’s been dumped to get rid of it,” says archaeologist Allison Emmerson. “They’re outside the walls being collected and sorted to be resold inside the walls.”

Analysis of Pompeii's Garbage Suggests the Ancient Romans Recycled, Too

The city's residents sorted waste materials for reuse in future projects, according to new research

The Unified Geologic Map of the Moon, showing the geology of the Moon’s near side (left) and far side (right).

Gorgeous New Map of the Moon Is Most Detailed to Date

The rendering builds on decades of data that dates back to the Apollo missions, which happened some fifty years ago

Kilauea fissure 8 lava fountains reached as high as about 50 m (164 ft) on June 20, 2018

Could Rainfall Have Triggered the 2018 Eruption of Hawaiian Volcano Kīlauea?

A new study posits that groundwater pressure might have been a tipping point for the magma system near the eruption

Researcher Charlotte Pearson points to the light tree ring that could mark the year of the Thera eruption.

Ancient Volcanic Eruption Dated Through Rings of Dead Trees

Researchers compared tree rings from around the world to determine that a volcano on Santorini probably erupted in 1560 B.C.

Pompeii's House of Lovers, first uncovered in 1933, was severely damaged in a 1980 earthquake.

Pompeii's House of Lovers Reopens to the Public After 40 Years

The building, one of three newly restored painted houses, is named for a Latin inscription that reads, “Lovers lead, like bees, a life as sweet as honey”

On Sunday, a National Weather Service employee snapped a photo of two ice volcanoes erupting on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Why Are Ice Volcanoes Erupting on the Shores of Lake Michigan?

They’re not really volcanoes. But they do spew freezing cold water, and that’s very cool

A statue of Pliny the Elder at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Maggiore in Como, Italy

This 2,000-Year-Old Skull May Belong to Pliny the Elder

The Roman statesman launched a rescue mission when Vesuvius erupted but lost his life in the process

A shiny black fragment found within the victim’s skull likely represents remnants of the man’s brain, which was subjected to such searing heat that it turned into glass.

Vesuvius' Scorching Eruption Turned a Man's Brain Into Glass

A new study reports on a shimmering black substance found in one victim's skull

Watch the Spectacular Eruption of One of Mexico’s Most Active Volcanoes

Officials say no one was hurt in the explosion. But over in the Philippines, a brewing eruption in threatens to be more severe

Sweden's 1,200-year-old Rök stone is inscribed with more than 700 runes, some of which may discuss climate change.

Viking Runestone May Trace Its Roots to Fear of Extreme Weather

Sweden’s Rök stone, raised by a father commemorating his recently deceased son, may contain allusions to an impending period of catastrophic cold

Maat Mons, Venus' highest volcano, one of several that may still be active in present day

Active Volcanoes May Still Exist on Venus

Scientists baked volcanic minerals in a box furnace to model how quickly lava ages on the planet’s harsh surface

Of the 47 visitors to the island at the time of the eruption, six died, eight are missing and 31 remain hospitalized.

At Least Six Tourists Dead After New Zealand Volcano Erupts

Forty-seven people were visiting the most active volcano in the country when it erupted on Monday afternoon

Fur seal pups on Bogoslof Island.

On an Active Volcano, a Northern Fur Seal Population Is Booming

Scientists estimate that there were 36,000 pups on Bogoslof Island this year—up from around 28,000 in 2015

The Posbury Clump.

Would You Like to Buy an Extinct Volcano?

The U.K.’s Posbury Clump may not have the snazziest of names, but the site boasts a rich history—and is available for around $60,700

Polychrome mosaic emblema (panel) showing fish and sea creatures, Pompeii, House of the Geometric Mosaics

From Baked Dormouse to Carbonized Bread, 300 Artifacts Show What Romans Ate

The show features frescoes, preserved fruit, cooking utensils and vessels recovered from Pompeii

Mount Bromo erupting in Indonesia. Prior to 20th century industrialization, volcanoes were a primary driver of regional temperature changes over timescales of two or three decades, one of the studies found.

Modern Climate Change Is the Only Worldwide Warming Event of the Past 2,000 Years

New research finds that previous periods of warming and cooling driven by natural causes were regional shifts in temperature rather than global events

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