The Earth’s surface is dappled with more than a thousand volcanoes. They mark the edges of tectonic plates, spewing hot gas and ash, and boiling over with lava. We can detect the warning signs of an eruption, but why is it still so hard to predict?

Meet a few currently active hot heads: Mauna Loa, Nyiragongo, Fagradalsfjall, and Soufrière – and find out what gives them individual personalities. Plus, what a newly excavated snack bar in Pompeii, buried and preserved when Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, can teach us about eruptions. 

Guests:

  • Christopher Jackson – Chair of Sustainable Geosciences at the University of Manchester

  • Thorvaldur Thordarson – Professor in Volcanology and Petrology at the University of Iceland

  • Maite Maguregui – Professor, Department of Analytical Chemistry at the University of the Basque Country, Spain

  • Silvia Perez-Diez – Researcher in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the University of the Basque Country, Spain

  • Alia Wallace – Archaeologist with the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado with a PhD from University College London

  • Jazmin ScarlettHistorical and Social Volcanologist, Independent Researcher

Segments:
Part 1: Thor Thordarson / Fagradalsfjall in Iceland
Part 2: Emma Bentley / Ancient Pompeii
Part 3: Jazmin Scarlett / La Soufriere in the Caribbean
Part 4: Christopher Jackson / Nyiragongo in Africa 

Descripción en español

Featuring music by Dewey Dellay

Podcast also available on PocketCasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and RSS.

2026 Webby Award Nominee
for our three part series on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Big Picture Science is an immersive radio show and podcast that reveals the unexpected connections in science.

Our Skeptic Check episodes take a critical look at extraordinary science claims and pseudoscience.

Don’t settle for a science snapshot. Get the big picture. 

Hosted By

Molly Bentley Executive Producer and Co-Host, Big Picture Science  

Seth Shostak Producer and Co-Host, Big Picture Science
Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute

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