Volcanoes

Waves at Pōhue Bay

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park Is Expanding by 16,000 Acres

The National Park Service is taking over stewardship of Pōhue Bay, an area full of cultural sites and endangered animals

The crater of Mount Vesuvius 

American Tourist Rescued After Falling Into Mount Vesuvius Crater

Using a long rope, volcano guides pulled the man to safety

China first sent giant pandas as a gift to the U.S. 50 years ago. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who arrived in 2000, are on loan until the end of 2023. 

The Wide World of Smithsonian Scientific Research

With astonishing new discoveries in the cosmos and pivotal research much closer to home, Smithsonian science proves indispensable

Researchers have long tried—and failed—to sequence the complete genome of someone who died in Pompeii. 

This Man Was Encased in Volcanic Ash in Pompeii. Here’s What His DNA Reveals

The adult man’s genome is the first to be fully sequenced from remains found in the ancient city

A 2015 expedition found two species of sharks living in the hot, acidic water near Kavachi, thus earning it the nickname "Sharkcano."

NASA Snaps Photos of Underwater 'Sharkcano' Erupting

Kavachi, a submarine volcano in the southwest Pacific Ocean, is home to several species of sharks and fish that can withstand the extreme environment

Spot can reach speeds up to 3mph, has 360 degree vision that helps it avoid obstacles and is protected from dust and rain, per its creator, Boston Dynamics. 

Meet Spot, the Dog-Like Robot Roaming the Ruins of Pompeii

The bot, built by Boston Dynamics, can navigate difficult terrains that humans can't access safely

“[T]his study show[s] how the owner of the house stimulated the visitor’s senses to convey a message about its power and wealth,” says co-author Danilo M. Campanaro in a statement.

Why Archaeologists Virtually Reconstructed an Ancient House in Pompeii

The team hopes to simulate how visitors would have experienced the space and gain a stronger understanding of the motivation behind Roman designs

Pluto's icy volcanic region, with possible past eruptions marked in blue.

Pluto's Hidden Ice Volcanoes Hint at the Possibility of Life

The discovery suggests the dwarf planet may be harboring a subsurface liquid ocean

The oil slick in the ocean extended an area of over 320 football fields and has dirtied waters and beaches, resulting in many dead birds and seals washing up onshore.  

Tsunami-Triggered Oil Spill Devastates Marine Wildlife on Peru's Coast After Volcanic Eruption in Tonga

The country declared a 90-day environmental emergency after 264,000 gallons of crude oil contaminated a biodiverse swath of its coastal ecosystems

The recent explosion was so powerful that it obliterated parts of the volcanic island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, splitting it in two.

NASA Says Tonga Eruption Was More Powerful Than an Atomic Bomb

The recent blast was the equivalent of 4 to 18 megatons of TNT, according to scientists

The explosion was likely the biggest volcanic eruption recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years.

Why the Eruption in Tonga Was a 'Once-in-a-Millennium' Event for the Volcano

The blast, which sent tsunami waves across the Pacific, left thousands of Tongans without access to water and power

Researchers found the remains of a man in his mid-40s at Herculaneum, a Roman town near Pompeii.

Vesuvius Victim Died Just Steps From the Safety of the Sea, Skeleton Shows

The middle-aged man's remains are the first of their kind found at Herculaneum in 25 years

Climate change led Ancestral Puebloans to relocate, forming denser communities and building grand structures like the great kivas in Chaco Canyon.

How Volcanic Eruptions Helped the Ancestral Puebloan Culture Flourish

Drastic changes in climate in the sixth century C.E. led the ancient Native American civilization to adopt new technologies

The room's sparse furnishings led archaeologists to suspect it served as housing for enslaved people.

Quarters for Enslaved People Discovered at Pompeiian Villa

The plainly furnished room contained three wooden beds, a chamber pot and a chest

The island's volcano has entered its sixth week of eruption and shows no signs of stopping. As seismic activity continues to increase, La Palma could be hit with an earthquake measuring a six on the Richter magnitude scale.

Spain's La Palma Volcano Continues to Erupt and Spew Ash

The volcano has covered over 2,000 acres of land with lava

The volcano (not visible in this image) emerged near Mayotte Island (pictured), located between East Africa and Magagascar.

Underwater Eruption Off France's Mayotte Island Gave Rise to a New Colossal Seamount

The 2018 blast was the most significant active submarine eruption ever documented

Kīlauea has an elevation of 4,009 feet and a magma system that reaches 37 miles below the ground. The volcano is the youngest and most active on the Hawaiian Islands.  

Kīlauea Spews Magma and Golden Strings of Volcanic Glass on Hawaii's Big Island

Most recently, the volcano had a series of small eruptions that began in December 2020 and lasted five months straight

Some experts suspect that the lava's heat at a scorching 1,800 degrees could trigger landslides or explosions and release toxic gases when it reaches the ocean and collides with the ocean water.    

La Palma Island Volcanic Eruption Sends Lava Flowing to Residential Buildings

The eruption engulfed 410 acres of land and destroyed about 350 homes

Construction of the pyramid, which stood 43 feet tall and roughly 130 feet wide, began within 5 to 30 years of the Tierra Blanca Joven eruption.

The Maya Built This Monumental Pyramid Out of Volcanic Rock

New research cites the colossal construction as evidence of the civilization's rapid recovery from a devastating eruption

Men ate over 50 percent more seafood protein than women and gained slightly more protein from grains. Women consumed more terrestrial meats, more eggs and dairy products, and more local fruits and vegetables.

New Analysis Reveals Vesuvius Victims' Diverse Diets

Isotope ratios show that men and women in the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum had different dietary habits

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