Super Volcano

October 1, 2007
Science writer and author Breining (Return of the Eagle) gives readers a solid introduction to modern volcanology in this look at "super volcanoes" in general (those that "have expelled at least 1,000 cubic kilometers of magma... all at once") and the Yellowstone caldera-"potentially the most explosive, most violent, most deadly active volcano on the planet"-in particular. Most readers will be astonished to learn that 2.1 million years ago, the area that is now Yellowstone National Park burst "with the force of hundreds of thousands" of Hiroshima-sized explosions; more surprising is that the site is past due for another, possibly larger eruption. Breining has done a public service by bringing these hazards to light with straight-forward writing and a well-organized text, clearly explaining complicated, violent geological processes without ignoring the awe-inspiring beauty of volcanic landscapes. He also includes the history of geological studies in Yellowstone, the critically important field of plate tectonics and what kind of fossils are generated by sudden, magma-induced death. Reviewing the largest known eruptions, Breining enumerates still-active threats to populations in Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Naples, Italy and, of course, the U.S. Bolstered by clearly laid-out maps, Breining's talent for elucidating complex phenomena makes this one of the best books on volcanoes a general reader can hope for.