Epic forces are at work every day, changing the face of our planet.
Through dramatic film footage, exhibits, interactive games and our famous earthquake simulator, explore how the powers within shape the world in which we live in the Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery.
Examine fossils from a time when all Earth's continents were joined, and the animals that evolved after the continents separated. See lava bombs, volcanic glass hair, and crystals created under intense pressure beneath Earth's surface.
Star specimens and exhibits
- the earthquake simulator, showing what it was like during the 1995 Kobe, Japan earthquake
- the heat suits and field equipment used by scientists studying volcanoes
- casts of victims from the Mount Vesuvius eruption of AD 79
- objects melted by lava flows
- hydrothermal vents that release hot magma from under the sea
- historic seismographic equipment
- building techniques to guard against earthquake damage
Explore the galleries with the Museum map
Find out how to get around with the Museum map. There are four zones to discover.
Discover: volcanoes
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Science newsTrilobite ‘Pompeii’ reveals 500-million-year-old animals preserved in exquisite detail
Some of the best three-dimensionally preserved fossil trilobites have been revealed from Morocco.
28 June 2024 -
Science newsNew toad from Kenyan volcano reveals hidden evolution of African amphibians
The species has only been found once on the side of the inactive volcano.
9 November 2023 -
Science newsStromboli's 'rejuvenation' heralds era of more variable volcanic eruptions
An unexpected series of eruptions at Stromboli may be due to changes in the volcano's internal 'plumbing'.
16 December 2022 -
What on Earth?Supervolcanoes and their enormous eruptions
Discover what a supervolcano is, what their eruptions are like and how they impact our planet.
Hire this space
The Volcanoes and Earthquakes gallery is available to hire for private events and parties.