Ptolemaeus crater (foreground), Alphonsus crater, and Arzachel crater, looking south.

The Case of the Volcano on the Moon

In 1958, Soviet astrophysicist Nikolai A. Kozyrev claimed there was an active volcano on the Moon. Dutch American astronomer Gerard P. Kuiper begged to differ.
Mount Okmok, Alaska

Beware the Volcanoes of Alaska (and Elsewhere)

The 43 BCE eruption of Alaska’s Okmok volcano created the (cold) climate context for the fall of the Roman Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire.
Dramatic skies over the Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Central American Volcanoes Offer Clues to Earth’s Geological Evolution

Along 1,100 kilometers, from Mexico to Costa Rica, lies the Central American volcanic arc, where the variety of magma types make for a geological paradise.
Mt. Ontake spews volcanic ash on September 28, 2014 in Otaki, Japan

After the Volcano Erupts

The catastrophic eruption of Japan’s Ontake-san allowed residents to reconsider and reinvent their relationships to the mountainous landscape.
A new lava stream cascades into the ocean at the former lava delta site in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Volcanic Ecosystems in the Deep Ocean

Undersea volcanoes, like Hawaii's Kīlauea, foster diverse ecosystems in an environment far from sunlight—and as acidic as lemon juice.
Molten lava erupts from Eyjafjallajokull, Fimmvorduhals, Iceland

Volcanoes, Climate Change, and The Birth of Christianity

The massive, deadly eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eldgjá in 10th century brought climate change and Christianity to the island colony.
Mount Agung volcano

Can a Single Volcano Cool the Earth?

Even one volcano can have impacts that affect the planet. There have been eruptions that affected the temperature over the entire hemisphere.
sulfur vent naples

Raging Seas, Blazing Smoke, and (Maybe) a Supervolcano

Have humans angered the planet? Smothering air pollution in California, rising seas in Oceania, and supervocanos that could cause global catastrophe.
View of the Tambora volcano across the water

Tambora: The Volcano Felt Around the World

Tambora's explosion was one of the largest volcanic events in recorded history.
Lava flowing into water while steam rises into the fog

Life with Lava

Lava from the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii has been used to answer questions about life on Mars.