Volcanoes

2020 has been grim, but there have been worse years. Here, experts from science, history and literature take us through just some of the other terrible times

A terrible onslaught of bubonic plague in the sixth century abruptly ended Emperor Justinian’s dream of reunifying the Roman empire and caused massive geopolitical upheaval

New techniques for dating volcanic eruptions, a lone axe and Indigenous oral traditions give us a new minimum age for human occupation in Victoria

While getting close to the awesome power of nature is a big draw for tourism, the eruption on White Island reminds us of the very real risks

A rock that is the source of most of the world’s diamond deposits is giving us insights into the Earth’s formation

Hawaii’s Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes - but what does this recent eruption tell us about what’s going on deep underground?

Earth’s transition from a volcanic state to modern plate tectonics created super-stable rocks that are the source of much of our mineral wealth