Volcanology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological phenomena. A volcanologist is a person who studies in this field. The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan, the Roman god of fire.
Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, especially active ones, to observe volcanic eruptions, collect eruptive products including tephra (such as ash or pumice), rock and lava samples. One major focus of enquiry is the prediction of eruptions; there is currently no accurate way to do this, but predicting eruptions, like predicting earthquakes, could save many lives. A volcanologist studies the formation of volcanoes and the current and historic eruptions of them.
