The bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman and The Map That Changed the World examines the enduring and world-changing effects of the catastrophic eruption off the coast of Java of the earth's most dangerous volcano -- Krakatoa. The legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa -- the name has since become a byword for a cataclysmic disaster -- was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. Beyond the purely physical horrors of an event that has only very recently been properly understood, the eruption changed the world in more ways than could possibly be imagined. Dust swirled round die planet for years, causing temperatures to plummet and sunsets to turn vivid with lurid and unsettling displays of light. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, D.C., went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all -- in view of today's new political climate -- the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims: one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere. Simon Winchester's long experience in the world wandering as well as his knowledge of history and geology give us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event as he brings it telling back to life.

A concise and accessible introduction to seismic theory, focusing on the mathematical fundamentals of global seismology. Aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this new edition has been updated to include recent advances in the field as well as new examples, review questions and computer-based exercises in MATLAB®/Python.

Volcanoes are unquestionably one of the most spectacular and awe-inspiring features of the physical world. Our paradoxical fascination with them stems from their majestic beauty and powerful, sometimes deadly, destructiveness. Notwithstanding the tremendous advances in volcanology since ancient times, some of the mystery surrounding volcanic eruptions remains today. The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes summarizes our present knowledge of volcanoes; it provides a comprehensive source of information on the causes of volcanic eruptions and both the destructive and beneficial effects. The early chapters focus on the science of volcanism (melting of source rocks, ascent of magma, eruption processes, extraterrestrial volcanism, etc.). Later chapters discuss human interface with volcanoes, including the history of volcanology, geothermal energy resources, interaction with the oceans and atmosphere, health aspects of volcanism, mitigation of volcanic disasters, post-eruption ecology, and the impact of eruptions on organismal biodiversity. - Provides the only comprehensive reference work to cover all aspects of volcanology - Written by nearly 100 world experts in volcanology - Explores an integrated transition from the physical process of eruptions through hazards and risk, to the social face of volcanism, with an emphasis on how volcanoes have influenced and shaped society - Presents hundreds of color photographs, maps, charts and illustrations making this an aesthetically appealing reference - Glossary of 3,000 key terms with definitions of all key vocabulary items in the field is included

Comprehensively describes the nature and process of tsunami, for students and researchers, and general public.

Igneous and metamorphic petrology has over the last twenty years expanded rapidly into a broad, multifaceted and increasingly quantitative science. Advances in geochemistry, geochronology, and geophysics, as well as the appearance of new analytical tools, have all contributed to new ways of thinking about the origin and evolution of magmas, and the processes driving metamorphism. This book is designed to give students a balanced and comprehensive coverage of these new advances, as well as a firm grounding in the classical aspects of igneous and metamorphic petrology. The emphasis throughout is on the processes controlling petrogenesis, but care is taken to present the important descriptive information so crucial to interpretation. One of the most up-to-date synthesis of igneous and metamorphic petrology available. Emphasis throughout on latest experimental and field data. Igneous and metamorphic sections can be used independently if necessary.

Presents up-to-date information on 10,000 years of volcanic activity on Earth in a handy, accessible format.

How do you measure the size of the planet you're standing on? "Circumference" is the story of what happened when one man asked himself that very question. Nicholas Nicastro brings to life one of history's greatest experiments when an ancient Greek named Eratosthenes first accurately determined the distance around the spherical earth. In this fascinating narrative history, Nicastro takes a look at a deceptively simple but stunning achievement made by one man, millennia ago, with only the simplest of materials at his disposal. How was he able to measure the land at a time when distance was more a matter of a shrug and a guess at the time spent on a donkey's back? How could he be so confident in the assumptions that underlay his calculations: that the earth was round and the sun so far away that its rays struck the ground in parallel lines? Was it luck or pure scientific genius? Nicastro brings readers on a trip into a long-vanished world that prefigured modernity in many ways, where neither Eratosthenes' reputation, nor the validity of his method, nor his leadership of the Great Library of Alexandria were enough to convince all his contemporaries about the dimensions of the earth. Eratosthenes' results were debated for centuries until he was ultimately vindicated almost 2000 years later, during the great voyages of exploration. "Circumference" is a compelling scientific detective story that transports readers back to a time when humans had no idea how big their world was--and the fate of a man who dared to measure the incomprehensible.

VOLCANOES Since the publication of the first edition of Volcanoes in 2010, our world of volcanology has changed in exciting ways. Volcanoes have continued to erupt (some 61 eruptions with VEI magnitudes greater than 3 have taken place since 2010), and in this revised and updated edition, the authors describe the largest of these, and the ones that have had the most impact on society. Volcanoes, Second Edition, contains more than 80 new photographs and figures to better illustrate volcanic features and processes, with an updated Bibliography that includes important papers describing recent eruptions and new findings. Volcanologic research is improving the foundations of knowledge upon which all our science rests, and we briefly summarize the most important of these advances and new research tools developed over the past eleven years. The most productive of these new tools are remotely operated, constantly monitoring volcanoes and their impacts on the Earth’s atmosphere from space and exploring new volcanic worlds beyond the bounds of Earth. Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are now widely available to understand better the most active volcanoes on Earth - those beneath the sea. This superlative textbook will enable students who may never see an erupting volcano to evaluate news stories about far-away eruptions, and to distinguish between overly sensational stories and factual reporting that puts facts in context. Emergency managers, land use planners, and civic officials also need to understand volcanic processes when their communities are threatened – this book will inform and guide them in their decision-making. Avoiding overly technical discussions and unnecessary use of jargon, with the important needs of civil authorities, teachers and students particularly in mind, this second edition of Volcanoes will also be of interest to general readers who are interested in these fascinating and ever-changing features of our dynamic planet.

For general readers or seasoned geologists, Fire Mountains of the West begins with an introduction to volcanoes, the processes that create them, and the glaciers that sculpt them. The heart of the book is a fascinating biography of each of the major volcanoes of the Cascades and Mono Lake area. Dramatic photos and illuminating maps and diagrams illustrate the visible features and hidden activity of these volcanoes. From the subterranean lava tube caves of the Medicine Lake volcano to the fire-and-ice formation of Mount Garibaldi, from the cataclysmic collapse of Crater Lake to the incinerating blast of modern Mount St. Helens, and from deadly volcanic gas presently killing trees at Mammoth Mountain to massive mudflows waiting to burst from Mount Rainier, this book brings to life in dynamic, crystal-clear language the geologic story of our western mountainscape.

Updated throughout, the new edition of Aki and Richards's classic text systematically explains key concepts in seismology. The book provides a unified treatment of seismological methods that will be of benefit to advanced students, seismologists, and scientists and engineers working in peripheral areas of seismology.