Once volcanoes begin to erupt, nobody can stop them.
But by studying volcanoes, people can limit the damage. Information about a volcano’s past eruptions helps scientists predict how it may act in the future. Volcanologists are scientists who study volcanoes. They look at old lava flows, ash layers, and other evidence of volcanoes. They plot out a history of eruptions through millions of years.
Volcanologists also study the daily life of volcanoes to find warning signs of new eruptions. Some signs are easy to see. Those include increased ash or fumes from the crater. Other signs, like minor earthquakes, are so small that only scientific instruments can detect them. These techniques are definitely not perfect, but they are improving. And they’re better than just guessing.
