Planetary volcanology: progress, problems, and opportunities

Abstract

Young on the scene, the field of planetary volcanology has transitioned from a predominantly descriptive science to a quantitative holistic view of the integrated generation, ascent, and eruption of magma under very different planetary sizes, densities, atmospheres, and positions in the Solar System. These multiple settings and conditions, now augmented by thousands of exoplanets, are providing new insights into the nature and history of volcanic processes and the thermal evolution of our own home planet, Earth.