Erupting volcanoes provide some of the greatest natural "firework" displays, which are nevertheless also a sombre reminder of the power within the Earth. And,...... more
Erupting volcanoes provide some of the greatest natural "firework" displays, which are nevertheless also a sombre reminder of the power within the Earth. And, as Earth becomes increasingly
crowded, more and more people are living within the deadly
shadows of active volcanoes, generally because of poverty. Melting the Earth tells the fascinating story of how our understanding of the often catastrophic phenomena of volcanoes has developed over the centuries. Haraldur Sigurdsson is an Iceland-born professor of geology in America and internationally known expert on volcanoes. His self-proclaimed interest in the history of our understanding of volcanicity comes from reading the accounts by the ancient Greek and Roman scholars, especially the remarkable eyewitness report of Pliny the Younger of the famous eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, which destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum and killed Pliny's uncle. Carefully researched, with many black and white reproductions of historic illustrations, Sigurdsson writes with authority and leads the uninitiated reader through the complex history of ideas about volcanoes. Their development has been intimately related to our understanding of the Earth's interior and
the processes of plate tectonics which have been revolutionised over the last few decades. Consequently, the story reaches far beyond volcanoes.There is serious science here but it is easily negotiable by any reader with some basic chemistry. A glossary, notes and bibliography plus good index provide help for the general reader and guidance for the keen student of volcanoes. --Douglas Palmer
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