A
volcanologist or
vulcanologist is a
geologist who studies the processes involved in the formation and eruptive activity of
volcanoes and their current and historic eruptions. Volcanologists frequently visit volcanoes, especially active ones, to observe
volcanic eruptions, collect eruptive products including
tephra (such as
ash or
pumice),
rock and
lava samples. One major focus of enquiry is the prediction of eruptions; there is currently no accurate way to do this, but predicting eruptions could alleviate the impact on surrounding populations.