Geology and geoscience - introduction

Updated: Sep 3, 2025 02:22 GMT - refresh

Geology (from the Greek gea=earth and logos=study) is the natural science about the solid Earth, in particular the rocks it is composed of and the internal and external processes that shape it.

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Plate Tectonics

Introduction to Plate Tectonics
The Earth's upper, rigid layer is broken into several plates which are in constant motion to one another. Most earthquakes and volcanoes occur as result of these plate boundaries.

Volcano World

Find out about active volcanoes worldwide

Earthquakes

Earthquake monitor
Lists and maps of earthquakes in the world in near real time. Country lists, earthquake archive, and I-felt-it reports.

Volcanoes outside Earth

Volcanoes in the Solar System
The Earth is not the only place with volcanic activity. Active volcanism also occurs at at least 3 other bodies in our Solar System.

Igneous rocks

Igneous or magmatic rocks
The most primitive rock type forms when magma (molten rock) solidifies - either inside the earth (plutonic rocks) or during volcanic eruptions (volcanic rocks). A short overview.

Geology dictionary

Glossary of geologic terms
A growing list of often illustrated explanations and definitions of geological terms and keywords, with focus on volcanology and seismology.

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Guaranteed tours

6-21 Oct 2025: From Krakatau to Bali - Java (Indonesia)

3-19 Nov 2025: Volcanoes and Spices - Sulawesi/Halmahera (Indonesia)

9-19 Nov 2025: Guatemala Volcano Special - Guatemala

20 Nov - 3 Dec 2025: Desert, salt and volcanoes - Danakil desert (Ethiopia)

2-10 May 2026: From Stromboli to Etna - Sicily and Eolian Islands (Italy)

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More on VolcanoDiscovery

Iceland Sep 2025

Colors of Iceland
Mighty waterfalls, hot pools and geysers, giant glaciers , ... Explore the variety of Iceland´s landscapes learn how they were formed through tectonic plates drifting apart and different types of volcanism.

Volcano Specials

Volcano Special Tours
We organize tours to particularly active volcanoes and during ongoing eruptions for extended observation time from various viewpoints. These trips, exclusively for very small groups, are often announced only at short notice and require fast travel and flexibility. Each trip is accompanied by a volcanologist from our team. Examples include: Kilauea (Hawai'i), Colima (Mexico), Krakatau and many others.

Earthquake report

Monthy earthquake reports
For each month since July 2012, we publish a summary of quake activity world-wide: find the list of largest quake, a map showing all significant quakes as well as detailed statistics on seismic activity during this time.

Volcano watching guide

How to watch volcanoes? Which volcano to choose? Some guidelines.

São Jorge Island

Volcano-seismic crisis 2022
Follow the latest news and update on the volcano-seismic crisis that started on São Jorge Island in the Azores on 19 March 2022!