In the original Hobbit, Tolkein was still developing his concept of the larger Middle Earth that takes shape in Lord of The Rings the world is smaller and the villains less apocalyptic.
Such data provides the high resolution details from which we can see how the Earth's structures have formed, measures the exact size and shape of the volcano and provides a vital snapshot of the Earth's active and sometimes violent volcanic system in action.
Since the arrival of ultra-long-range airliners in the mid-1990s in the shape of the Boeing 777 (for which Emirates is the biggest customer), any two big cities on Earth can be linked via Dubai with no other stops.