Most of the Roman occupants of Herculaneum were doomed the moment Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 C.E. Within hours, a cloud of hot volcanic ash swept down the side of the famous Italian volcano, raced over the countryside, and smothered the town, along with nearby Pompeii. Image: Martyn et al/Antiquity
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Millions of years before the Galapagos Islands existed, there was another archipelago in the same stretch of water off the west coast of South America. And it seems those long-vanished lands probably shaped the evolution of some of the unusual Galapagos wildlife that later inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Image: A Camera Story
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Mount Etna, one of the world’s most famous volcanoes, may be misunderstood. According to one geologist, the material feeding the cone is mostly water, so Etna is effectively a giant hot spring. But other geologists are unconvinced. Image: Alessandro Rossi ©
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Before volcanoes erupt, they must “defrost”. The magma beneath some of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes might be relatively cool and solid for more than 99 per cent of the time. That means evidence that it has warmed up and melted could be a sign of an imminent eruption. Image: dherrera_96
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In almost every region of the world, AD536 was marked with bad weather, social disorder – and death. This climatic downturn may well have profoundly altered the course of history. The trigger of this cooling has long been a mystery, but now we may finally be close to identifying the culprit – or culprits. Image: Yotam Rozin
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It’s a “build your own volcano” kit like no other. A team of geologists in Germany has built a model volcano that crackles with lightning as it erupts. But this is no toy science kit for kids – it could offer insights into the disruption risk to aircraft in the aftermath of an eruption. Image: fmg2001
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In 1963, archaeologist James Mellaart found a large mural on the wall of a house in Çatalhöyük, the largest known Stone Age town. He interpreted it as depicting a plan layout of the town’s dwellings with a twin-peaked volcano, Hasan Dag, looming behind – captured dramatically in the process of erupting. If correct, the interpretation makes the mural the earliest depiction of a geological observation. Image: Alex Schmitt
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Several volcanoes erupted in 2009 – but only one screamed in the process. Its unique guttural howls provide an unrivalled glimpse into the heart of a volcanic eruption, and may hold clues to the driving forces that cause volcanoes to blow their tops. Image: DCSL
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A blast from the past has left tantalising hints that volcanic eruptions could be predicted decades in advance. Volcanoes can signal their intent to erupt days or months ahead of time, giving authorities a chance to evacuate the area. Now evidence of the events leading up to a Bronze Age eruption suggests it might be possible to extend that warning period. Image: miriam.mollerus
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The volcanic activity that shaped Yellowstone national park may have sculpted something on a much smaller scale too – the teeth of some rodents. Mountain beavers have teeth with deep crowns, thick enamel and short roots – a condition called hypsodonty, typical of animals that chew gritty, silica-rich grasses. Yet they are partial to soft plants, so why the tough teeth? Image: cliff1066™
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Some microbes are happy to hide away from the big, bad world. Joachim Reitner at the University of Göttingen in Germany and colleagues have found the first evidence that microbes could survive inside gas bubbles within volcanic rock. Image: Krumma
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The sound of ocean waves lapping on the beach could prove handy for more than just helping people sleep: they may help predict when a volcano is about to wake up. Image: Giles Douglas
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