The International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, or IAVCEI, is an association that represents the primary international focus for research in volcanology

Volcanology

Volcanology is the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena. The term volcanology is derived from the Latin word vulcan. Vulcan was the ancient Roman god of fire....

, efforts to mitigate volcanic disasters, and research into closely related disciplines, such as igneous geochemistry

Geochemistry

The field of geochemistry involves study of the chemical composition of the Earth and other planets, chemical processes and reactions that govern the composition of rocks, water, and soils, and the cycles of matter and energy that transport the Earth's chemical components in time and space, and...

 and petrology

Petrology

Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....

, geochronology

Geochronology

Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments, within a certain degree of uncertainty inherent to the method used. A variety of dating methods are used by geologists to achieve this, and schemes of classification and terminology have been proposed...

, volcanogenic mineral

Mineral

A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...

 deposits, and the physics of the generation and ascent of magma

Magma

Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...

s in the upper mantle

Mantle (geology)

The mantle is a part of a terrestrial planet or other rocky body large enough to have differentiation by density. The interior of the Earth, similar to the other terrestrial planets, is chemically divided into layers. The mantle is a highly viscous layer between the crust and the outer core....

 and crust

Crust (geology)

In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...

.

IAVCEI is run by an Executive Committee whose membership changes every four years. The Executive determines policies for the Association, enacting them through a series of commissions and task groups. IAVCEI publishes the Bulletin of Volcanology journal

Scientific journal

In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...

.

History

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics

The International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the scientific study of the Earth using geophysical and geodesic techniques. The IUGG was established in 1919. Some areas within its scope are environmental preservation, reduction of the effects of...

 (IUGG) is a non-governmental organisation that was established in 1919. IUGG consists of eight Associations of which IAVCEI is one.

The volcanology section of the IUGG was the forerunner of the IAVCEI and was founded in 1919. It was formally constituted at the First General Assembly of the IUGG (Rome, 1922). The name was changed to International Association of Volcanology (IAV) at the Fourth General Assembly of the IUGG (Stockholm, 1930). IAV statutes and by-laws were adopted in Helsinki

Helsinki

Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

 in 1960 and were revised in Zurich

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

 in 1967 and in Canberra

Canberra

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

 in 1979. 'Chemistry of the Earth's Interior' (CEI) was appended to 'IAV' in 1967 in order to harmonise with the name of the International Association of Seismology and the Physics of the Earth's Interior (IASPEI).

IAVCEI Statutes and Objectives

The statutes of IAVCEI include four objectives:

• To study scientific problems related to volcanoes and volcanic processes, past and present, and to the chemistry of the Earth's interior.
• To encourage, initiate and coordinate research, and promote international cooperation in these studies.
• To encourage volcanologists to alert appropriate authorities about the importance of adequate surveillance of active and potentially active volcanoes, and of volcanic risk assessment.
• To arrange for the discussion and publication of the results of scientific research on volcanology and on the chemistry of the Earth's interior.

Countries are members of IUGG. After 1996 individuals have been able to become members of IAVCEI.

Bulletin

The Bulletin of Volcanology

Bulletin of Volcanology

The Bulletin of Volcanology is the official journal of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior published by Springer Science+Business Media...

is the journal of IAVCEI. Earlier it was called the Bulletin Volcanologique which first started publication in 1922. The annual volume consists of eight issues.

Awards

• Thorarinsson Medal
  Thorarinsson Medal
  The Thorarinsson Medal is awarded by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior for outstanding contributions to the general field of volcanology, and is the highest award given by IAVCEI. It is named for the noted Icelandic geologist and volcanologist...
  
  , in honor of Sigurdur Thorarinsson (1912–1983)
• Wager Medal, in honor of Lawrence Wager
  Lawrence Wager
  Lawrence Rickard Wager, commonly known as Bill Wager, was a British geologist, explorer and mountaineer, described as "one of the finest geological thinkers of his generation" and best remembered for his work on the Skaergaard intrusion in Greenland, and for his attempt on Mount Everest in...
  
   (1904–1965)
• Krafft Medal, in honor of Katia Krafft (1942–1991) and Maurice Krafft (1946–1991)
• George Walker Awards, in honor of George P.L. Walker (1926–2005)