Volcanology (also spelled vulcanology) is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena (volcanism). The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire.
A volcanologist is a geologist who studies the eruptive activity and formation of volcanoes, and their current and historic eruptions. 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.
- Plato (428–348 BC)
- Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD)
- Pliny the Younger (61 – c. 113 AD)
- George-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon (1707–1788)
- James Hutton (1726–1797)
- Déodat Gratet de Dolomieu (1750–1801)
- Giuseppe Mercalli (1850–1914)
- Haroun Tazieff (1914–1998), advisor to the French Government and Jacques Cousteau
- George P. L. Walker (1926–2005), pioneering volcanologist who transformed the subject into a quantitative science
- Haraldur Sigurdsson (1939), Icelandic volcanologist and geochemist
- Katia and Maurice Krafft (1942–1991 and 1946–1991, respectively), died at Mount Unzen in Japan, 1991
- David A. Johnston (1949–1980), killed during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
- Harry Glicken (1958–1991), died at Mount Unzen in Japan, 1991
- Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide
- Practical Volcanology: lecture notes for understanding volcanic rocks from field based studies
- Volcanology and Geothermal Energy
- Mount Etna: The anatomy of a volcano
- Volcanoes and the Environment
- Neapolitan Volcanoes: A Trip Around Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Ischia
- The Formation and Evolution of Africa: A Synopsis of 3.8 Ga of Earth History
- The Vesuvius and the other volcanoes of Central Italy
- History of Geomorphology and Quaternary Geology
- The Progeny of Volcanoes
- Active Volcanoes of Chiapas (Mexico)
- The Field Description of Igneous Rocks
- Volcanoes in Human History
- The Myrdalsjokull Ice Cap, Iceland: Glacial Processes, Sediments and Landforms on an Active Volcano
- Modeling Volcanic Processes
- Four Centuries of Geological Travel: The Search for Knowledge on Foot, Bicycle, Sledge and Camel
- Fluid Motions in Volcanic Conduits: A Source of Seismic and Acoustic Signals
- The timing of volcano-ice interactions and deglaciation in Iceland
- Fundamentals of Physical Volcanology
- What Is a Volcano?
- Before the Volcano Erupted
- The Volcanoes of Kilauea and Mauna Loa on the Island of Hawaii
- Volcanoes: Eruptions and Other Volcanic Hazards
- Mud Volcanoes, Geodynamics and Seismicity
- Introducing Volcanology
- Rock Physics and Geomechanics in the Study of Reservoirs and Repositories
- Volcanic Hazards Management at Taranaki Volcano: Information Source Book
- Volcanoes: An introduction
- A Dictionary of Earth Sciences
- Volcanoes, Their Structure and Significance
- Island on Fire: The Extraordinary Story of a Forgotten Volcano That Changed the World
- Terrestrial Fluids, Earthquakes and Volcanoes: The Hiroshi Wakita Volume II
- Igneous Petrology and Volcanology
- Super Volcano: The Ticking Time Bomb Beneath Yellowstone National Park
- Volcanoes in Human History
- The Deep Roots of Volcanoes: Models of Magma Dynamics with Applications to Subduction Zones
- Arc Volcano of Japan: Generation of Continental Crust from the Mantle
- Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destruction: A Journey to the Birthplace of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis
- Thermal Remote Sensing of Active Volcanoes: A User's Manual
- Volcano: Nature and Culture
- The Stromboli Volcano: An Integrated Study of the 2002–2003 Eruption
- The Volcano Adventure Guide
- Volcanoes in the Quaternary
- Volcanoes of the Azores: Revealing the Geological Secrets of the Central Northern Atlantic Islands
- Observing the Volcano World: Volcano Crisis Communication
- Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems: Understanding Magma Transport, Storage, and Evolution in the Earth's Crust
- Geology lab for kids
- Encyclopedia of Volcanoes
- Updates in Volcanology – A Comprehensive Approach to Volcanological Problems
- Volcano Deformation: Geodetic Monitoring Techniques
- Copahue Volcano
- Volcanoes of the Antarctic Plate and Southern Oceans
- A model of volcanic explosions at Popocatépetl volcano (Mexico): Integrating fragmentation experiments and ballistic analysis
- Monitoring gas emissions of active volcanoes - identification of natural degassing variations and combination of volcano monitoring techniques