Extracting volcano information, eruption data, and volcanic activity reports from this website is accomplished through various search interfaces. Volcanoes can be located either by searching for a name or by using maps to look for volcanoes in particular regions. Eruption data is primarily viewed after finding a particular volcano, but a feature in the FAQ section allows users to see a list of volcanoes that were erupting in a particular month and year. Reports (published by the Smithsonian since 1968) can be retrieved after finding a volcano, but a table of contents showing the reports published each month is available. A name search restricted to those volcanoes with reports makes it simpler for users just interested in reading about recent activity. The following table summarizes these features, with more detailed descriptions in sections below.
| Search by: | Website section | Search Techniques |
| Name | Homepage | Type a text string and choose from the resulting list of volcanoes. This uses the VOTW Name Search defaults. |
| Name | VOTW and VAR | The VOTW search page has various options that control the scope of the search and the resulting list. Users may search in a particular region or limit searching to only volcano names (not synonyms or subfeatures). The VAR search only provides links to reports by default, a setting also available through the VOTW page. |
| Location | VOTW | View a series of maps with volcanoes indicated by red triangles; zoom-in on an area by selecting a region; then select from a list of that area's volcano names. |
| Eruption Date | VOTW | Enter year, or month and year, to see a list of eruptions that took place then. Click on a volcano name for more information about that volcano and its eruptions. |
| Publication Date | VAR | View the Bulletin and predecessor publications, 1968-present. Table of contents pages provide links to a particular report with the set of reports for that volcano. Complete Bulletins are available starting with July 1994. |
These techniques allow you to choose a volcano name by first entering a text string and then choosing from the resulting list. If the search results in a single unique volcano, you will be taken directly to that volcano. Searches with no results will generate a page with additional hints for locating a volcano.
The text string need not be complete and need not start at the beginning of a word. Non-English characters should be anglicized (eg., write "á" as "a"). The apostrophe (') is accepted as a valid character (Puu O'o, Niuafo'ou, T'au, etc.), but, although apostrophes appear in the source file, their usage is not everywhere consistent (e.g. Puu O'o is often written Pu'u O'o, but currently the source file supports only the former spelling). Spellings often vary and although we have listed some synonyms, they may differ from the particular spelling you use. Common names like crater, cerro, mount, mountain, the suffix "jima", etc. will be filtered out and the search performed on the remaining text. A better strategy is to simply use the more unique part of the name: Azul (for Cerro Azul), Helens (for Mount St. Helens), Sakura (for Sakura-jima).
"Unnamed" is taken as a valid volcano name and at the time of this writing it retrieves 76 cases. These represent situations where, according to our files, the volcano or sub-feature name was never clearly designated. The names "Unknown" and "False" fail to retrieve any names. Those cases are handled separately, under Miscellaneous Reports.
The search results listing shows volcano names in bold type, with synonyms and sub-features in normal type. All are linked, so selecting any name will take you to the information page for that volcano.
The buttons at the top of the page provide world-wide alphabetized listings of volcanoes or volcanoes along with synonyms and sub-features. If no text string is entered and no region is selected (leaving the World as the default), then no search is performed; these lists are already provided through the buttons above.
However, if a region is selected and the text search box left blank, an alphabetical listing of all volcanoes in the region will be generated. The resulting regional list will also show "volcano type" (stratovolcano, caldera, cinder cone, fissure vents, tuff ring, etc.) and "volcanic subregion". Searches can combine the name and regional parameters. You may also change from the default search criteria by excluding synonyms and sub-features.
Beware of certain pitfalls. For example, in some cases a well-known erupting vent may be considered part of a larger volcanic system or volcanic field (or "group"), complicating the name search. Basically, the volcano names follow conventions discussed in the Volcanoes of the World section of this website. Name/region searches initiated there allow you to explore the naming conventions by viewing the source file of volcano names (choose either of the large buttons "Volcanoes only" or "All names, synonyms, and sub-features)."
This technique finds the volcano of interest by using maps and geographically ordered lists of volcano names. A clickable world map (or users may select from text links below the map) leads to regional maps and a list of subregions for each of the 19 volcanic regions. Although individual volcanoes within each region are indicated by red triangles on the regional maps, they do not lead directly to information for individual volcanoes. Choosing an area on the regional map produces a geographically organized list of volcanoes in that subregion, with the volcano type, a more specific location, and a thumbnail photo (if available).
This option allows you to select a date (year only, or month and year) and retrieve a tabular list of volcanoes erupting at the stated time. The table gives volcano names, country, and the start and stop dates of the eruption. Enter B.C. dates as negative numbers. The year 9,900 BC is the minimum allowed.
After selecting a month and year, and pressing the "Get Issue" button, users will see a table of contents page listing the volcanoes with reports published that month and a one-line summary of the activity. The volcano names are linked, and lead to that specific report within the suite of reports for that volcano. Complete issues of the Bulletin are available starting in July 1994.
This interface is a more restricted version of the name search for volcanoes; listings only provide links to those volcanoes for which the Smithsonian has published reports.