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VOLCANOLOGY

In Vulcan’s forge

Nature Geoscience volume 12, pages 2–3 (2019)Cite this article

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To the Editor — Experimental geoscience began in the furnaces, kilns and crucibles of the glass workers and metallurgists of the industrial revolution1. Pioneers of experimental petrology and geochemistry worked with industrialists and artisans who had the craft knowledge and skill to manipulate silicates at high temperature1,2. These early encounters between geoscientists and glass workers spawned diverse disciplines that are now central to geoscience research. This rich heritage of knowledge exchange is of great benefit to artisans as well as geoscientists. In particular, the conditions and processes of volcanic interiors are found in glass art studios every day. We advocate that every volcanologist should enter a glass workshop — taking a step into Vulcan’s Forge — to develop a visceral understanding of the materiality of magma.

Artists manipulating hot glass in their workshops exploit the same processes that occur in natural melts: viscous flow, brittle glass phenomena, bubble dynamics in melts, viscous threading, welding and sintering. In nature, these processes are a mechanical consequence of magma transport and are seen in the textures and morphologies of volcanic products. In the glass studio, these processes are deliberate, forming the elements of the glass artist’s tool kit, and their mastery is the essence of the glass artist’s skill.

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Fig. 1: Glass art is often inspired by volcanoes and produced in collaboration with volcanologists.

C. Rennie (a); A. Mackie (b); H. Petersen (c); R. Wysocki (d)

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to J. Mitchell, G. Gasper, A. Mackie, H. Petersen, and R. Wysocki.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Science Labs, Durham University, Durham, UK

    Fabian B. Wadsworth & Edward W. Llewellin

  2. Department of Glass and Ceramics, University of Sunderland, National Glass Centre, Liberty Way, Sunderland, UK

    Colin Rennie & Cate Watkinson

Authors
  1. Fabian B. Wadsworth
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  2. Edward W. Llewellin
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  3. Colin Rennie
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  4. Cate Watkinson
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Correspondence to Fabian B. Wadsworth.

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Wadsworth, F.B., Llewellin, E.W., Rennie, C. et al. In Vulcan’s forge. Nature Geosci 12, 2–3 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-018-0283-5

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