Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth … - Robin George Andrews

Written by Robin George Andrews
Read by Mike Cooper
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc.
Release date: November 2, 2021
Duration: 10:13:19

Super Volcanoes: What They Reveal about Earth and the Worlds Beyond

An exhilarating, time-traveling journey to the solar system’s strangest and most awe-inspiring volcanoes.

Volcanoes are capable of acts of pyrotechnical prowess verging on magic: they spout black magma more fluid than water, create shimmering cities of glass at the bottom of the ocean and frozen lakes of lava on the moon, and can even tip entire planets over. Despite their reputation for destruction, volcanoes are inseparable from the creation of our planet. Super Volcanoes revels in the incomparable power of volcanic eruptions past and present, Earth-bound and otherwise, and explores how these eruptions reveal secrets about the worlds to which they belong.

Science journalist and volcanologist Robin George Andrews describes the stunning ways in which volcanoes can sculpt the sea, land, and sky, and even influence the machinery that makes or breaks the existence of life. Traveling from Hawaii, Tanzania, Yellowstone, and the ocean floor to the moon, Venus, and Mars, Andrews explores cutting-edge discoveries and lingering scientific mysteries surrounding these phenomenal forces of nature.

Library Journal
“It’s Volcano Day!” says The Doctor in the Doctor Who episode “The Fires of Pompeii.” Like the charismatic time-traveling hero of the popular British series who takes his companion back to that fateful day in 79 A.D., this book by science journalist Andrews escorts readers on an adventure through space and time to the many volcanoes inhabiting this world and beyond. For each of the volcanoes or volcanic regions the book covers, Andrews explains the scientific and historical significance. He recounts volcanic events that were destructive to human populations, such as the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia, which killed 36,000, and the 2018 eruption of Kilauea which wreaked havoc on Hawai’i’s infrastructure. The author, who has a PhD in volcanology, also shares his enthusiasm for awe-inspiring super volcanoes (those with the largest magnitude of explosivity), such as the Yellowstone Caldera. Andrews guides readers as far as outer space, to the volcanic landscapes of the Moon, Mars, and Venus. VERDICT With references to pop culture (like Doctor Who) and a literary flair, this is the Baedeker of volcanoes, guiding readers through the world of volcanology.”