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VOLCANOES Eruptions and Other Volcanic Hazards volcanoes.indb i 2/26/08 11:13:57 AM volcanoes.indb ii 2/26/08 11:13:58 AM VOLCANOES Eruptions and Other Volcanic Hazards Timothy Kusky, Ph.D. volcanoes.indb iii 2/26/08 11:13:58 AM VOLCANOES: Eruptions and Other Volcanic Hazards Copyright © 2008 by Timothy Kusky, Ph.D. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kusky, Timothy M. Volcanoes: eruptions and other volcanic hazards / Timothy Kusky. p. cm.—(The hazardous earth) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6463-2 ISBN-10: 0-8160-6463-6 1. Volcanoes. I. Title. QE522.K87 2008 551.21—dc22 2007022342 Facts On File books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text design by Erika K. Arroyo Illustrations by Richard Garratt and Melissa Ericksen Photo research by Suzanne M. Tibor Printed in the United States of America VB ML 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper and contains 30 percent post-consumer recycled content. To Dabney Caldwell, 1927–2006 ■ volcanoes.indb v ■ ■ 2/26/08 11:13:58 AM volcanoes.indb vi 2/26/08 11:13:59 AM Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction xi xiii xv 1 Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, and Igneous Rocks 1 1 3 4 6 7 8 10 14 14 18 21 2 Volcanic Hazards 22 22 Plate Tectonics Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics Different Kinds of Igneous Rocks Naming Igneous Rocks Extrusive Igneous Rocks Intrusive Igneous Bodies The Origin of Magma Norman Levi Bowen (1887–1956) Types of Volcanic Eruptions and Landforms Volcanism in Relationship to Plate Tectonic Setting Conclusion Hazards of Lava Flows Hazards of Pyroclastic Flows, Tephra Falls, and Ballistic Projectiles Hazards of Mudflows, Floods, Debris Flows, and Avalanches Hazards of Poisonous Gases Hazards of Volcanic-Induced Earthquakes and Tsunamis Hazards of Atmospheric Sound and Shock Waves 25 29 33 34 36 Hazards from Changes in Climate Gaia Hypothesis Other Hazards and Long-Term Effects of Volcanic Eruptions Conclusion 38 39 41 41 3 Reducing the Threat from Volcanic Hazards Predicting Volcanic Eruptions Volcano Monitoring at the Alaska Volcano Observatory Experiencing a Volcanic Eruption Conclusion 43 43 50 51 51 4 Examples of Historical Volcanic Disasters Thera, Greece, 3,650 Years before Present Vesuvius, 79 c.e. Tambora, Indonesia, 1815 Krakatau, Indonesia, 1883 Firsthand Account of the Eruption of Krakatau from a Passenger on a Passing Ship Javanese Farmworker’s Firsthand Account of Tsunami Conclusion 53 53 57 63 67 5 6 Examples of Volcanic Disasters of the Twentieth and Twenty-first Centuries Mount Pelée, Martinique, 1902 Firsthand Account of Lahars of Mount Pelée, 1902 Firsthand Accounts of Nuée Ardent Hitting Saint-Pierre, 1902 Lake Nyos, Cameroon, 1986 Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, 1985 Mount Saint Helens, 1980, and the Cascades Today Mount Pinatubo, 1991 Nyiragongo, Congo, 2002 Conclusion Massive Global Volcanism, Volcanic Winters, and Kimberlite Eruptions Massive Global Volc