earth science

Volcano Number

Volcano Number is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Volcano Number rather than just read about it. In short: The Volcano Number (also Volcano Reference File Number, Volcano Numbering System, or VNUM) is a hierarchical geographical system to uniquely identify and tag volcanoes and volcanic features on Earth. As of September 30, 2013, the VNUm consists of 6 numbers, no longer includes non-numeric characters, and no VNUM begins with 0 or 1, to avoid confusion with the legacy numbering system.

Key takeaways

Volcano Number belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Volcano Number to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Volcano Number from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Volcano Number (also Volcano Reference File Number, Volcano Numbering System, or VNUM) is a hierarchical geographical system to uniquely identify and tag volcanoes and volcanic features on Earth. As of September 30, 2013, the VNUm consists of 6 numbers, no longer includes non-numeric characters, and no VNUM begins with 0 or 1, to avoid confusion with the legacy numbering system. The VNUM was developed by the Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World (CAVW) project of the International Association of Volcanology, now the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI), in the late 1930s. It is currently administered by the Global Volcanism Program at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. (USA), in cooperation with the IAVCEI, and the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO), a commission of IAVCEI. The number system was used in both editions of the book Volcanoes of the World in 1981 and 1994. Prior to September 30, 2013, the system included numbers consisting of four numerals, a hyphen, then two or three more numerals. The first two numerals identified the region, the next two the subregion, and the last two or three the individual volcano.

References

External links Smithsonian / IAVCEI Volcano Numbers

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Volcano Number

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Volcano Number claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Volcano Number before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Volcano Number ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Volcano Number

In research: Volcano Number appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Volcano Number in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Volcano Number is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1930s establishments, 1930s introductions, Volcanoes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Volcano Number outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Volcano Number in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Volcano Number means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Volcano Number out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Volcano Number in simple terms?

Why does Volcano Number matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Volcano Number?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Volcano Number.