Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change

Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change

by R.V.Fisher (Author), Grant Heiken (Author), JeffreyB.Hulen (Author)

Synopsis

Probing the science and mystery of volcanoes, this book chronicles not only their geologic behaviour, 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 eruptions and the 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 how have witnessed eruptions and miraculously survived the aftermath. The book beins 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 in which 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 volcano gods and attempts to appease them. The book concludes by assisting readers in experiencing these geological phenomena for themselves. A tourist guide to volcanoes outlines over 40 sites throughout the world.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 344
Edition: illustrated edition
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 27 Jun 1997

ISBN 10: 069101213X
ISBN 13: 9780691012131

Media Reviews
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
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
Author Bio
Richard V. Fisher is Professor Emeritus of Geological Sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Grant Heiken, a volcanologist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, teaches courses in volcanology at the University of New Mexico. Jeffrey B. Hulen is a research geologist at the Energy and Geoscience Institute of the University of Utah.