The concept of IAVCEI publishing the proceedings of volcanological conferences arose after the Bulletin of Volcanology took on its new format in 1986. There was a perceived need for an IAVCEI volcanological series that could publish thematic conference proceedings and therefore leave the Bulletin of Volcanology free to continue its regular publication schedule without delays caused by the production of 'special issues'. Four volumes of the IAVCEI Proceedings in Volcanology have appeared to date: one is entitled 'Volcanic hazards' (edited by J.H. Latter), another `Lava flows and domes' (edited by J.H. Fink), and the third `Volcanic seismology' (edited by P. Gasparini, R. Scarpa, and K. Aki). A fourth volume on carbonatites (editors K. Bell and J. Keller) was released in January 1995.

The IAVCEI Executive Committee in 1992 discussed the future of the series. It decided that restricting the contents of the series to conference proceedings was too limiting, and this series has now been replaced by IAVCEI Special Publications and IAVCEI Methods in Volcanology.