We are a first grade classroom in MN, studying volcanoes. We'd like to know: When did volcanoes first appear on earth? and Who was the first person to study volcanoes?

1-P First Grader

Dear north country neighbors,

The first volcanoes formed about 3.5 billion years ago. They covered large areas with lava flows. Perhaps the best modern-day analogy would be the flood basalts in the northwestern United States.

Pliny the Younger was the first person to study volcanoes. From 18 miles (30 km) west of Vesuvius, he witnessed the eruption and later recorded his observations in two letters. He described the earthquakes before the eruption, the eruption column, air fall, the effects of the eruption on people, pyroclastic flows, and even tsunami. Volcanoes by Peter Francis contains several direct passages from Pliny the Younger.

Steve Mattox, University of North Dakota

Sources of Information:
Francis, P., 1994, Volcanoes a planetary perspective: Oxford University Press, New York, 443 p.

Other Categories        Other Questions
To VolcanoWorld