Volcanoes

A church with a red roof and steeple sticks out against the sprawling landscape as the sun pokes through the hazy clouds.

Get an Eyeful of Iceland in These 15 Photos That Capture Its Natural Beauty

These selections from the Smithsonian magazine photo contest will transport you to the small Scandinavian island

Lava flows from a fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland on January 14.

Iceland Volcano Eruption Destroys Homes, May Signal a New Era of Frequent Activity

Fissures near Grindavík ejected lava for the second time in one month and engulfed three homes in the coastal fishing town

A view of Jupiter's moon Io captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft on December 30, 2023.

NASA Captures Stunning Images of Jupiter's Moon Io on Closest Flyby in 20 Years

The Juno spacecraft's instruments will help scientists better understand volcanic activity on the volatile moon's surface

Costa Rica's Arenal volcano spews geysers of lava, ash and toxic gases

Why Central American Volcanoes Are Ideal for Studying Earth's Evolution

The volcanic arc extending from Mexico to Costa Rica expels a variety of magma types that make for a geological paradise

A volcano erupts near the evacuated town of Grindavík in southwestern Iceland.

Volcano Erupts in Iceland After Weeks of Earthquake Activity

On Monday night, plumes of lava and ash blasted more than 330 feet into the air

The small fishing village of Grindavík, which officials evacuated late last week as a precaution in advance of a likely volcanic eruption in the area.

Iceland Braces for a Likely Volcanic Eruption as Earthquakes Increase

The country's Reykjanes Peninsula has been experiencing swarms of seismic activity for weeks, as magma accumulates beneath the surface

An image of Pluto taken by the New Horizons spacecraft in 2015

A Supervolcano on Pluto May Have Spewed Ice Just a Few Million Years Ago

An unusual crater on the dwarf planet hints at past volcanic activity—and a possible vast ocean beneath its surface, scientists say

A leaf-eared mouse called Phyllotis vaccarum

Biologists Find 13 Freeze-Dried Mouse Mummies Atop Andean Volcanoes

These cold, arid and oxygen-poor summits are akin to conditions on Mars, prompting questions about how the rodents got there—and how they survived

Warming spurred by Earth's next supercontinent could lead to widespread desert conditions, a new modeling study suggests. Pictured is the Tengger Desert in Inner Mongolia, an autonomous region of China.

Earth's Next Supercontinent Could Wipe Out Mammals in 250 Million Years

Termed “Pangea Ultima,” the predicted future landmass might be extremely hot, plagued by volcanoes and largely inhospitable, per a new modeling study

Archaeologists unearthed the bedroom in a Roman villa near Pompeii.

Enslaved Individuals Slept in This Bedroom, Untouched Since Mount Vesuvius' Eruption 2,000 Years Ago

The small room with two beds—but only one mattress—sheds new light on slavery in a Roman villa near Pompeii

An illustration by Terry Kerby of Pisces V exploring the ocean depths at Loihi.

Inside the Nerve-Racking Dive to an Active Submarine Volcano

The chief pilot of a deep-sea submersible recounts exploring Loihi, which will become Hawaii’s next island

A recently unearthed fresco at a house in Pompeii shows a flatbread that could have been a precursor to pizza.

Does This Pompeii Painting Depict a 2,000-Year-Old Pizza?

The fresco features a flatbread with a variety of toppings—but no tomato and mozzarella

A photo of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption taken on December 24, 2021, before the biggest eruption on January 15, 2022. Tsunamis caused by the eruption killed at six people in Tonga and Peru and displaced more than 1,500 people on Tongan islands.

Tonga Volcano Sparked the Most Intense Lightning Storm Ever Recorded

Last year's eruption produced a raging storm at unprecedented altitudes, with 2,600 lightning flashes per minute at its peak

Mount Etna erupts in July 2021.

Secrets Still Smolder at One of the World's Most Active Volcanoes

A century after one of Mount Etna's many notable eruptions, scientists are more eager than ever to study the peak's frequent bursts of fiery fury

Just because history is the most dangerous place to visit doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go. It’s also the most interesting. You just need a guide.

Could You Survive the Black Death, the Sack of Rome and Other Historical Catastrophes?

A new book advises readers how to successfully navigate deadly disasters of the past

Kīlauea erupts early on June 7, after months of signaling it was getting ready to burst.

Hawaii's Kīlauea Volcano Is Erupting Again—Here's How to See It

The youngest and most active volcano on the Big Island, it's expected to draw thousands of tourists

Bone fractures suggest that structural damage killed the two Pompeii residents.

These Two Ancient Pompeii Victims Died in an Earthquake—Not a Volcanic Eruption

Archaeologists have found the bodies of two men who perished in the days before Mount Vesuvius erupted

An artistic rendering of the newly discovered LP 791-18 d exoplanet

Newly Discovered Exoplanet May Be Covered in Volcanoes

Astronomers found an Earth-sized world that could have liquid water on its surface and may be able to support life

The eruption of a volcano on Spain’s La Palma island took a toll on nearby fish.

The Gruesome Ways Volcanoes Kill Fish

Whether the eruption is underwater or on land, the creatures don’t have an easy time dealing with nature’s fury

Records of lunar eclipses that appeared unusually dark are telling scientists when volcanic eruptions might have occurred in the past.

Medieval Eclipse Records Help Scientists Understand Volcanic Eruptions

Descriptions of lunar eclipses from monks and poets can shed light on how volcanoes affect Earth's climate in a new study

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