'Volcanoes: Global Perspectives'
As the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland continues to bellow ash into the skies across Europe there is a growing interest in the cause and the impact of volcano eruptions on both the environment and society. Now volcano experts Professor John P. Lockwood and Professor Richard W. Hazlett seek to answer these questions in their new book Volcanoes: A Global Perspective.
"Volcanoes are essential elements in the delicate global balance of elemental forces that govern both the dynamic evolution of the Earth and the nature of life itself," said Lockwood. "Without volcanic activity, life as we know it would not exist on our planet. Although beautiful to behold, volcanoes are also potentially destructive, and understanding their nature is critical to prevent major loss of life in the future."
The book, written in an informal manner, with minimum use of jargon, relies heavily on first-person, eye-witness accounts of eruptive activity at both "red" (effusive) and "grey" (explosive) volcanoes to illustrate the full spectrum of volcanic processes and their products.
Decades of teaching in university classrooms and fieldwork on active volcanoes throughout the world have provided the authors with unique experiences that they have distilled into a highly readable and comprehensive title, split into three sections:
- Global perspectives explores the mechanics and styles of volcanic eruptions, and the development of volcanic landforms and their distribution worldwide.
- Environmental perspectives introduces readers to the surprisingly important role of volcanism as regards agriculture, weather, climate, the origin of life, and the maintenance of a life-friendly atmosphere.
- Humanitarian perspectives discusses the major influences of volcanoes on human societies. This latter is especially important as resource scarcities and environmental issues loom over our world, and as increasing numbers of people are threatened by volcanic hazards.
Provided by Wiley
