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Planetary volcanology: progress, problems, and opportunities

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Abstract

Young on the scene, the field of planetary volcanology has transitioned from a predominantly descriptive science to a quantitative holistic view of the integrated generation, ascent, and eruption of magma under very different planetary sizes, densities, atmospheres, and positions in the Solar System. These multiple settings and conditions, now augmented by thousands of exoplanets, are providing new insights into the nature and history of volcanic processes and the thermal evolution of our own home planet, Earth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, RI, 02912, Providence, USA

    James W. Head

  2. Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

    Lionel Wilson

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  1. James W. Head
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  2. Lionel Wilson
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Correspondence to James W. Head.

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Editorial responsibility: J.H. Fink

This paper constitutes part of a topical collection: Looking Backwards and Forwards in Volcanology: A Collection of Perspectives on the Trajectory of a Science

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Head, J.W., Wilson, L. Planetary volcanology: progress, problems, and opportunities. Bull Volcanol 84, 23 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-022-01527-x

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