Synopses & Reviews
Whenever a volcano threatens to erupt, scientists and adventurers from around the world flock to the site in response to the irresistible allure of one of nature's most dangerous and unpredictable phenomena. In a unique book probing the science and mystery of these fiery features, the authors chronicle not only their geologic behavior but also their profound effect on human life. From Mount Vesuvius to Mount St. Helens, the book covers the surprisingly large variety of volcanoes, the subtle to conspicuous signs preceding their eruptions, and their far-reaching atmospheric consequences. Here scientific facts take on a very human dimension, as the authors draw upon actual encounters with volcanoes, often through firsthand accounts of those who have witnessed eruptions and miraculously survived the aftermath.
The book begins with a description of the lethal May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens--complete with an explanation of how safety officials and scientists tried to predict events, and how unsuspecting campers and loggers miles away struggled against terrifying blasts of ash, stone, and heat. The story moves quickly to the ways volcanoes have enhanced our lives, creating mineral-rich land, clean thermal energy, and haunting landscapes that in turn benefit agriculture, recreation, mining, and commerce. Religion and psychology embroider the account, as the authors explore the impact of volcanoes on the human psyche through tales of the capricious volcano gods and attempts to appease them, ranging from simple homage to horrific ritual sacrifice.
Volcanoes concludes by assisting readers in experiencing these geological phenomena for themselves. An unprecedented "tourist guide to volcanoes" outlines over forty sites throughout the world. Not only will travelers find information on where to go and how to get there, they will also learn what precautions to take at each volcano. Tourists, amateur naturalists, and armchair travelers alike will find their scientific curiosity whetted by this informative and entertaining book.
Review
A vivid, insightful, heavily illustrated book. . . . Most important, Volcanoes is fun. The authors take us on a roller-coaster ride through centuries of volcanic thrills, keeping our attention riveted on the deadly fireworks, while giving us just enough science to deepen our awe. -- William J. Broad, The New York Times Book Review A short course in volcanology offered by a team of scientists who bring both scholarship and something like glee to their work. . . . Abundantly illustrated, always accessible and sometimes downright chatty, Volcanoes is a work of science that has not lost its sense of wonder. -- Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change is written by three respected vulcanologists who, having witnessed several volcanic tragedies, hope to inform and educate people about the wonders, the thrills, and the dangers of volcanoes. . . .[It is an] informative and entertaining book. -- Hazel Rymer, The Times Higher Education Supplement [An] entertaining and informative book that puts volcanoes firmly in their social and cultural place, as well as summarizing the scientific advances that have helped us to understand why and when they erupt. . . . It's a good read, too, written with enthusiasm and expert knowledge, as well as deadpan humour. -- Sue Bowler, New Scientist Volcanoes is a compendium of facts and observations, compellingly and concisely explained. -- Richard Fortey, London Review of Books
Review
"A vivid, insightful, heavily illustrated book. . . . Most important, Volcanoes is fun. The authors take us on a roller-coaster ride through centuries of volcanic thrills, keeping our attention riveted on the deadly fireworks, while giving us just enough science to deepen our awe."--William J. Broad, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"A short course in volcanology offered by a team of scientists who bring both scholarship and something like glee to their work. . . . Abundantly illustrated, always accessible and sometimes downright chatty, Volcanoes is a work of science that has not lost its sense of wonder."--Jonathan Kirsch, Los Angeles Times
Review
"Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change is written by three respected vulcanologists who, having witnessed several volcanic tragedies, hope to inform and educate people about the wonders, the thrills, and the dangers of volcanoes. . . .[It is an] informative and entertaining book."--Hazel Rymer, The Times Higher Education Supplement
Review
"[An] entertaining and informative book that puts volcanoes firmly in their social and cultural place, as well as summarizing the scientific advances that have helped us to understand why and when they erupt. . . . It's a good read, too, written with enthusiasm and expert knowledge, as well as deadpan humour."--Sue Bowler, New Scientist
Review
"Volcanoes is a compendium of facts and observations, compellingly and concisely explained."--Richard Fortey, London Review of Books
Review
Volcanoes is a compendium of facts and observations, compellingly and concisely explained. Sue Bowler - New Scientist
Synopsis
"Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change provides a vivid treatment of the whole breadth of volcanology, encompassing everything from disastrous eruptions to the volcanic soils that provide fine wines in many parts of the world. This is the best popular book on volcanology available today, written by authors who bring to their text the authority of careers spent at the leading edge of their research field."--Peter W. Francis, author of Volcanoes: A Planetary Perspective
Synopsis
Whenever a volcano threatens to erupt, scientists and adventurers from around the world flock to the site in response to the irresistible allure of one of nature's most dangerous and unpredictable phenomena. In a unique book probing the science and mystery of these fiery features, the authors chronicle not only their geologic behavior but also their profound effect on human life. From Mount Vesuvius to Mount St. Helens, the book covers the surprisingly large variety of volcanoes, the subtle to conspicuous signs preceding their eruptions, and their far-reaching atmospheric consequences. Here scientific facts take on a very human dimension, as the authors draw upon actual encounters with volcanoes, often through firsthand accounts of those who have witnessed eruptions and miraculously survived the aftermath.
The book begins with a description of the lethal May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens--complete with an explanation of how safety officials and scientists tried to predict events, and how unsuspecting campers and loggers miles away struggled against terrifying blasts of ash, stone, and heat. The story moves quickly to the ways volcanoes have enhanced our lives, creating mineral-rich land, clean thermal energy, and haunting landscapes that in turn benefit agriculture, recreation, mining, and commerce. Religion and psychology embroider the account, as the authors explore the impact of volcanoes on the human psyche through tales of the capricious volcano gods and attempts to appease them, ranging from simple homage to horrific ritual sacrifice.
Volcanoes concludes by assisting readers in experiencing these geological phenomena for themselves. An unprecedented "tourist guide to volcanoes" outlines over forty sites throughout the world. Not only will travelers find information on where to go and how to get there, they will also learn what precautions to take at each volcano. Tourists, amateur naturalists, and armchair travelers alike will find their scientific curiosity whetted by this informative and entertaining book.
Synopsis
"Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change provides a vivid treatment of the whole breadth of volcanology, encompassing everything from disastrous eruptions to the volcanic soils that provide fine wines in many parts of the world. This is the best popular book on volcanology available today, written by authors who bring to their text the authority of careers spent at the leading edge of their research field."--Peter W. Francis, author of Volcanoes: A Planetary Perspective
Table of Contents
| Preface | |
| Acknowledgments | |
Pt. I | Volcanoes and Eruptions | 1 |
Ch. 1 | Politicians and Volcanoes | 3 |
| A Modern Tragedy: Mount St. Helens | 7 |
Ch. 2 | Why Do Volcanoes Erupt? | 29 |
| From the Tiny Molecule, Giants Grow | 34 |
| Volcano Country | 38 |
Ch. 3 | Volcanoes and Eruptions | 41 |
| Types of Volcanoes | 43 |
| Volcanic Eruptions | 48 |
| Two Eruption Types | 53 |
Ch. 4 | Poseidon and Pluto: Water and Volcanoes | 65 |
| Bikini and the Base Surge | 69 |
| Taal Volcano | 71 |
| Maar Volcanoes and Cinder Cones | 73 |
| A Little-Known Frontier: Volcanic Eruptions under the Sea | 77 |
Pt. II | The Hazards of Volcanoes | 87 |
Ch. 5 | Volcanic Hurricanes | 89 |
| What Happens inside a Pyroclastic Flow? | 94 |
| What Goes Up Must Come Down | 95 |
| Mount Unzen and Merapi | 95 |
| Firecloud Rock: A Detective Story | 102 |
| Calderas and Pyroclastic Flows | 105 |
| Volcanism after a Caldera Collapse | 111 |
| World War II and the Battle for a Caldera | 111 |
Ch. 6 | Falling Volcanoes and Floods of Mud | 115 |
| A Mountain Fell | 117 |
| Debris Avalanches and Slides beneath the Sea | 123 |
| Volcanic Debris Flows (Lahars) | 123 |
| Potential Destruction from Mount Rainier | 129 |
Ch. 7 | Lava Flows | 133 |
| Stopping a Lava Flow | 137 |
| Interrupting a Lava Flow | 139 |
| The 1991-1992 Eruption of Mount Etna | 140 |
| Lava Put to Use | 142 |
| A Ride on a Lava Flow | 144 |
Ch. 8 | Never Sail through an Eruption Cloud | 147 |
| A Sailing Ship and a Jet | 149 |
| Other Encounters with Ash Clouds | 153 |
| Jetliners | 155 |
| Ash and Aircraft Safety | 157 |
Ch. 9 | The Breath of Volcanoes | 163 |
| Effects of Volcanic Gases | 165 |
| The Year without a Summer | 170 |
Pt. III | Myths and Benefits of Volcanoes | 175 |
Ch. 10 | Sometimes the Gods Are Angry | 177 |
| Volcanoes Assault the Senses | 179 |
| Changing Ideas from Old to New | 181 |
| Thera (Santorini): Its Influence on the Modern World | 182 |
| Volcanoes and the Underworld | 187 |
| Divine Intervention | 189 |
| The Making of a Myth | 194 |
| The Emergence of Volcanology as a Science | 196 |
| Science and Modern Ritual | 197 |
Ch. 11 | Volcanoes for Consumers | 199 |
| Skiing and Hot Baths | 201 |
| Construction Materials and Kitty Litter | 202 |
| The Grand Tour | 211 |
| Modern Volcano Tourism | 214 |
Ch. 12 | Volcanic Treasures: Steam, Gold, and Diamonds | 217 |
| Steam | 219 |
| Oil and Volcanoes Don't Mix ... or Do They? | 224 |
| Volcanoes and Prospectors' Dreams | 225 |
| Volcanic Gemstones | 227 |
Ch. 13 | From Ashes Grow the Vines | 231 |
| The Allure of Volcanoes | 237 |
| Fertility and Rebirth | 240 |
| Recovery from Vulcan's Devastation | 241 |
Ch. 14 | Volcanic Rocks: Guardians of History | 245 |
| Volcanic Ash: The Nearly Perfect Preservative | 247 |
| Human Origins in the Ethiopian Rift | 248 |
| Preserving Historic Cultures | 251 |
Pt. IV | Living near Volcanoes | 259 |
Ch. 15 | Mitigation and Survival | 261 |
| Assessing the Hazards: The Pulse of Volcanoes | 266 |
| What Is a Disaster? | 268 |
| The Lesson of Armero | 272 |
| Mount Pinatubo: A Success Story | 275 |
| Volcanologists on the Front Lines | 279 |
| Dante and the Volcano | 284 |
Appendix 1 | The Volcano Traveler | 287 |
Appendix 2 | Metric Conversion Table | 312 |
| Index | 313 |