Instead, their work found evidence of what is known as a Plinian eruption, one that is similar to the eruption of Vesuvius. A closer examination of microscopic volcanic glass shards recovered from ...

In 2002 the volcano shot more than 15 million cubic yards ... The recent eruptions hadn't been classic, spouting-out-the-top types, so-called Plinian eruptions, but rather fissure eruptions ...

life-threatening Plinian eruptions with little or no warning. Though volcanologists study all types of volcanoes, the latter kind is of greatest concern since it is capable of killing thousands of ...

SEE ALSO: A volcano just erupted in Europe and the footage is amazing Unlike Italy's Mount Etna, Popocatépetl hasn't spewed any spectacular lava-- much to the relief of residents in Mexico's ...

This story appears in the September 2007 issue of National Geographic magazine. When the first thunderous boom echoed across the plain of Campania, quickly followed by a blistering hail of ...

We hope to determine whether the volcano’s current moderate explosive activity will culminate in a Plinian eruption. To mitigate the risk associated with Plinian eruptions at Popocatépetl and for ...