Volcanoes

A Very Short Introduction

By: Michael J. Branney, Jan Zalasiewicz

Narrated by: Mike Cooper

Volcanoes are some of the most dramatic expressions of the powerful tectonic forces at work in the Earth beneath our feet. But volcanism, a profoundly important feature of Earth, and indeed of other planets and moons, too, encompasses much more than just volcanoes themselves. On a planetary scale, volcanism is an indispensable heat release mechanism, which on Earth allows the conditions for life. It releases gases into the atmosphere and produces enormous volumes of rock, and spectacular landscapes - landscapes that, during major eruptions, can be completely reshaped in a matter of hours. Through geological time volcanism has shaped both climate and biological evolution, and volcanoes can affect human life, too, for both good and ill. Yet, even after much study, some of the fundamental aspects of volcanicity remain mysterious.

This Very Short Introduction takes listeners into the inferno of a racing pyroclastic current, and the heart of a moving lava flow, as understood through the latest scientific research. Exploring how volcanologists forensically decipher how volcanoes work, Michael Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz explain what we do (and don't) understand about the fundamental mechanisms of volcanism, and consider how volcanoes interact with other physical processes on the Earth, with life, and with human society.

©2021 Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz (P)2021 Tantor

A thorough short discussion on volcanoes

I’m heading down to Central America and wanted to read and hear more about volcanoes. This is a scientific book about the various geological aspects and formations of volcanoes. Even though it claims to be a short version it is very thorough. As a wanna-be geologist, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Very well done, very comprehensive. I recommend for those that are interested in it. 

Need more detail about the climatic effects of

Need more detail about the climatic effects ofVolcanoes...compared to humankind and how much more dramatic the volcanoes effects are...