▁explanation ▁of ▁vol cano es ▁was ▁first ▁undert aken ▁by ▁the ▁Greek ▁phil os opher ▁Emp ed oc les ▁( c . ▁ 4 9 0 - 4 3 0 ▁B . C .), ▁who ▁considered ▁the ▁world ▁to ▁be ▁divided ▁into ▁four ▁element al ▁forces : ▁earth , ▁air , ▁fire ▁and ▁water . ▁He ▁maintained ▁that ▁vol cano es ▁were ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁element al ▁fire . ▁W inds ▁and ▁earth qu akes ▁would ▁play ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁explan ations ▁of ▁vol cano es . ▁Lu cre ti us ▁claimed ▁Mount ▁Et na ▁was ▁completely ▁h ollow ▁and ▁the ▁fires ▁of ▁the ▁under ground ▁driven ▁by ▁a ▁fier ce ▁wind ▁circul ating ▁near ▁sea ▁level . ▁Pl iny ▁the ▁E lder ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁earth qu akes ▁preced ed ▁an ▁er u ption . ▁Ath anas ius ▁Kir cher ▁( 1 6 0 2 – 1 6 8 0 ) ▁witness ed ▁er u ptions ▁of ▁Mount ▁Et na ▁and ▁St rom bol i , ▁then ▁visited ▁the ▁cr ater ▁of ▁V es u vi us ▁and ▁published ▁his ▁view ▁of ▁an ▁Earth ▁with ▁a ▁central ▁fire ▁connected ▁to ▁numerous ▁others ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁burning ▁of ▁sul fur , ▁bit umen ▁and ▁coal . ▁ ▁Inst rument al ▁and ▁analyt ical ▁period ▁▁ ▁Ar gu ably ▁the ▁first ▁modern ▁experimental ▁treat ise ▁was ▁William ▁Gilbert ' s ▁De ▁Mag nete ▁( 1 6 0 0 ), ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁dedu ced ▁that ▁comp ass es ▁point ▁north ▁because