Hidden beneath miles of rock and ocean, volcanic forces quietly shape our world.

Join Ally Peccia, a geologist at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, for an inside look at how scientists piece together Earth’s fiery history and what these discoveries tell us about the future.

From ancient eruptions recorded in rock layers to modern events that send plumes high into the atmosphere, volcanoes offer a window into the deep processes that built our world. Learn how researchers read clues hidden in ash, lava, and the seafloor, uncovering stories that connect past civilizations, global climate shifts, and today’s natural hazards.

Spend an evening exploring the powerful role volcanoes play, what they reveal about the restless Earth beneath us, and how they continue to shape the planet we call home.

This special edition of SciCafe will open with a brief volcano-themed comedy set by NYC-based science comedian Ben Miller.

Resources for SciCafe’s Frequent Geeks

Quick Pick: A Volcanic Explosion 520,000 Years Ago Dwarfed One That Devastated the Minoan Civilization, State of the Planet

Big Bite: The Library of Earth’s History

Deep Dive: Giant offshore pumice deposit records a shallow submarine explosive eruption of ancestral Santorini, Nature

ASL interpretation is available for this program. Please email [email protected] to reserve seats in our ASL section.

SciCafe: The Pulse of a Restless Planet