In "one of the best science books of the year" ("Library Journal"), the author celebrates volcano "cowboys, " their hazardous lives, and the often harrowing decisions they must make while studying eruptions. 8-page photo insert.

Explores the life of volcanologists, the scientists who leave the safety of the laboratory to participate in the dangerous work of studying volcanoes, describing the work they do, the dangers they face, and the benefits of their work.

This open access book provides a comprehensive overview of volcanic crisis research, the goal being to establish ways of successfully applying volcanology in practice and to identify areas that need to be addressed for future progress. It shows how volcano crises are managed in practice, and helps to establish best practices. Consequently the book brings together authors from all over the globe who work with volcanoes, ranging from observatory volcanologists, disaster practitioners and government officials to NGO-based and government practitioners to address three key aspects of volcanic crises. First, the book explores the unique nature of volcanic hazards, which makes them a particularly challenging threat to forecast and manage, due in part to their varying spatial and temporal characteristics. Second, it presents lessons learned on how to best manage volcanic events based on a number of crises that have shaped our understanding of volcanic hazards and crises management. Third, it discusses the diverse and wide-ranging aspects of communication involved in crises, which merge old practices and new technologies to accommodate an increasingly challenging and globalised world. The information and insights presented here are essential to tapping established knowledge, moving towards more robust volcanic crises management, and understanding how the volcanic world is perceived from a range of standpoints and contexts around the globe.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 182. This book presents a study of the "eruptive crisis" that took place at the Stromboli volcano from December 2002 to July 2003. It features an integrative approach to the monitoring of eruptive activity, including lava flow output, explosive activity, flank instability, submarine and subaerial landslides, tsunami, paroxysmal explosive events, and mitigation strategies. The book comes with a DVD with spectacular photos and video of The landslide and the tsunami that hit the coast of the island; The 5 April 2003 paroxysmal event; The whole eruption showing the stages of effusive activity and growth of the lava flow field; Selected data useful for testing geochemical, petrological, seismological, thermal, and ground deformation models. This multidisciplinary and multimedia experience, unique for the amount, quality, and variety of data it covers, can be applied to other active volcanoes. Stromboli will appeal to solid Earth scientists and students working in seismology, geodynamics, geochemistry, and mineral physics, as well as nonspecialists with an interest in the inner workings of our planet and others.

What are the Decade Volcanoes, and are they going to kill us? There's no quick and easy answer to that question, other than "dangerous" and "maybe." This book helps you get started on your own investigations into these beautiful but hazardous fire mountains. It explains what the 1990s Decade Volcano program was and why it got started. Then you'll meet the sixteen volcanoes (seventeen, actually, but they made the two Russian volcanoes a single entry). Besides basic facts, written in plain English by an informed layperson, there are also links to videos and to much authoritative online background material and monitoring websites. If technical details are your thing, you'll find an extensive reference section at the end of the book.

Robert and Barbara Decker provide readers with this accessible introduction to vulcanology. With first-hand descriptions and photographs, this 4th edition has three new chapters on Volcanoes in the solar system, the Pinatubo Volcano and the Yellowstone National Park.

Why does a volcano erupt? How many different kinds of volcanoes are there? Once believed to be the work of a fire god named Vulcan, volcanoes have long fascinated people. Looking at three different types of volcanoes composite, cinder cone, and shield uncover how and why these magnificent and deadly mountains change the earth for the better, and for the worse.

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens caused tragic loss of life and property, but also created a unique opportunity to study a huge disturbance of natural systems and their subsequent responses. This book synthesizes 25 years of ecological research into of volcanic activity, and shows what actually happens when a volcano erupts, what the immediate and long-term dangers are, and how life reasserts itself in the environment.

The long dormant Mount St. Helens volcano of the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington State erupted on May 18, 1980.

The author examines natural disasters around the Pacific Rim throughout history together with scientific data context to produce enlightening—and highly readable—entries. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off Japan's coast, triggering a powerful tsunami. The massive destruction that resulted proved that not even sophisticated, industrialized nations are immune from nature's fury. Written to take some of the mystery out of the earth's behavior, this encyclopedia chronicles major natural disasters that have occurred around the Pacific Rim, an area nicknamed the "Ring of Fire" because of the volatile earth that lies above and below. The encyclopedia offers descriptions of deadly earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis through time. The entries provide in-depth information that promotes an understanding of the structure of the earth and earth processes and shares the insights of scientists whose work helps clarify the causes and effects of these cataclysmic events. At the same time, the work examines how the people and cultures of the Pacific Rim view this active part of the earth, how they live with the threat of disaster, and how they have been affected by major events that have occurred. Readers will come away with a holistic view of what is known, how this knowledge was gained, and what its implications may be.