volcanic ash

American  

noun

Geology.

1. ash.

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Etymology

Origin of volcanic ash

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

Scientists were able to determine the age of the fossils because they were preserved between two distinct layers of volcanic ash inside the cave.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

The approach could improve predictions of how pollution spreads through cities, how wildfire smoke or volcanic ash travels through the atmosphere, and how engineered nanoparticles behave in industrial and medical applications.

From Science Daily • Feb. 8, 2026

Their evidence suggests that volcanic activity around 1345 caused temperatures to drop sharply over consecutive years because of the release of volcanic ash and gases which blocked out some sunlight.

From BBC • Dec. 4, 2025

There has also been a massive development programme in the monitoring and forecasting of volcanic ash.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025

A textbook example occurred after the eruption in 1980 of Mount St. Helens, in southern Washington State, which inundated more than two hundred square miles with magma, volcanic ash, and mud.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann