The Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network is a monthly publication that contains reports of activity at volcanoes around the world. Information in these reports comes from a worldwide network of correspondents. It is necessarily preliminary, and subject to change as the events are studied in more detail.The issue month reflects the period of activity, not the publication date; more recent information about ongoing activity is often included.

Because of the emphasis on swift reporting, the Bulletin is normally restricted to field observations and measurements - the timing and sequence information so important to understanding the dynamics of volcanism - but so easily lost if not documented at the time. Most of the analytical, theoretical, and interpretive aspects of these eruptions - requiring laboratory equipment, library access, or quiet reflection - are normally absent from the Bulletin. In short, the Bulletin does not compete with scientific journals, to which the reader is referred for more detailed coverage of recent volcanism. It is important for the reader to understand this fundamental limitation of the Bulletin's preliminary nature, and to contact the original sources (or us) before making serious use of GVN information.

Edited by Rick Wunderman and Ed Venzke.