The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes is a complete reference guide, providing a comprehensive view of volcanism on the Earth and on the other planets of the Solar System that have exhibited volcanic activity. It is the first attempt to gather in one place such a vast store of knowledge on volcanic phenomena. The volume addresses all aspects of volcanism, ranging from the generation of magma, its transport and migration, eruption, and formation of volcanic deposits. It also addresses volcanic hazards, their mitigation, the monitoring of volcanic activity, and economic aspects and, for the first time, analyzes several specific cultural aspects of volcanic activity, including the impact of volcanic activiton archaeology, literature, art, and film. To compose a single volume that is a complete reference for such a farranging phenomenon is indeed a daunting task. When the editors began to develop the fundamental structure of this Encyclopedia, we were faced with two choices: either constructing a
dictionary-like volume composed of defined terms, arranged in alphabetical order, or following a thematic approach, where the multitude of volcanic processes are defined, described, and elaborated in a series of chapters. We have adopted the latter approach in this volume.