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Volcanoes “Monuments of Nature”

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Abstract

Volcanoes are the surface expression of the interior part of the earth’s crust. In general they are formed when melting material rises from depth and leaks into the earth’s crust. The incandescent (molten) rock underlying the volcano, called magma, erupts as lava and pyroclastic products on the surface, forming a large cone. Volcanoes occur into four main contexts: (i) subduction (convergent) zones, (ii) areas of spreading (iii) intraplate geotectonic environments and (iv) at hot spots in the lithosphere. As monuments of nature, volcanoes always have cultural dimensions. They are very attractive places of great interest for geology as well as for human history and environmental evolution. In the past the observation of, and reference to, natural phenomena has been in poetry. Throughout the world, volcanoes, rocks, mountains, lakes, caves or other geological formations have been used for rituals, or inspired artists, travellers and myths. For example, the description of the eruption, in AD 79, of Vesuvius by Pliny the Younger is essential for volcanology. Volcanoes are attractive places for anyone wishing to visit, explore, and photograph; they offer a fascinating adventure for professional volcanologists as well as for amateur enthusiasts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Mineralogy and Petrology, Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, Gr-15784, Athens, Greece

    Konstantinos G. Kyriakopoulos

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  1. Konstantinos G. Kyriakopoulos
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Correspondence to Konstantinos G. Kyriakopoulos .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. Geology & Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Zografou, 157 84, Greece

    Niki Evelpidou

  2. Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Braganca, 5301-855, Portugal

    Tomás Figueiredo

  3. Universitá Telematica, Guglielmo Marconi, Via Plínio 44, Roma, 00193, Italy

    Francesco Mauro

  4. Fac. Economics &, Dokuz Eylul University, Buca/Izmir, 35160, Turkey

    Vahap Tecim

  5. Eastern Aegean GeoCultural Park, Flias & V. Ipirou Str. 13, Athens, 151 25, Greece

    Andreas Vassilopoulos

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Kyriakopoulos, K.G. (2010). Volcanoes “Monuments of Nature”. In: Evelpidou, N., Figueiredo, T., Mauro, F., Tecim, V., Vassilopoulos, A. (eds) Natural Heritage from East to West. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-01577-9_7

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