An impressive collection of 62 technical papers recounting the eruption of Mo Pinatubo in 1991 and its aftermath. The contributors reflect the internatio cooperation exhibited during the eruption (ten times larger than Mount St. Helens) and explore the precursors, processes, and products of the eru

The NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "The Effects of the Mt. Pinatubo Erup tion on the Atmosphere and Climate" was held in Rome, September 26-30, 1994. In addition to NATO, the workshop was supported by Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. The Organizing Committee was fortunate to enlist the participation of many of the experts in the field, and this book is an account of their contributions. The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in June 1991 was readily recognized as one of the major eruptions of the century. In a sense it was the global experiment the atmospheric scientific community was waiting for to assess theories developed on ozone depletion and greenhouse warming. In September of that same year the launching of the UARS satellite added a new tool for observers all around the world. Three years later was a good time to convene a NATO Workshop to sum up what had been measured and theorized about the effects of the eruption. This book is divided in four chapters which cover respectively: the characterization of the aerosol cloud, the measured or simulated effects on temperature, on ozone and on climate.

A unique interdisciplinary approach to disaster risk research, including global hazards and case-studies, for researchers, graduate students and professionals.

John Dvorak, the acclaimed author of Earthquake Storms, looks into the early scientific study of volcanoes and the life of the man who pioneered the field, Thomas Jaggar. Educated at Harvard, Jaggar went to the Caribbean after Mount Pelee exploded in 1902, killing more than 26,000 people. Witnessing the destruction and learning about the horrible deaths these people had suffered, Jaggar vowed to dedicate himself to a study of volcanoes. In 1912, he built a small science station at the edge of a lake of molten lava at Kilauea volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. Jaggar found something else at Kilauea: true love. For more than twenty years, Jaggar and Isabel Maydwell ran the science station, living in a small house at the edge of a high cliff that overlooked the lava lake, Maydwell quickly becoming one of the world’s most astute observers of volcanic activity.Mixed with tales of myths and rituals, as well as the author’s own experiences and insight into volcanic activity, The Last Volcano reveals the lure and romance of confronting nature in its most magnificent form—the edge of a volcanic eruption.

Volcanic eruptions are common, with more than 50 volcanic eruptions in the United States alone in the past 31 years. These eruptions can have devastating economic and social consequences, even at great distances from the volcano. Fortunately many eruptions are preceded by unrest that can be detected using ground, airborne, and spaceborne instruments. Data from these instruments, combined with basic understanding of how volcanoes work, form the basis for forecasting eruptionsâ€"where, when, how big, how long, and the consequences. Accurate forecasts of the likelihood and magnitude of an eruption in a specified timeframe are rooted in a scientific understanding of the processes that govern the storage, ascent, and eruption of magma. Yet our understanding of volcanic systems is incomplete and biased by the limited number of volcanoes and eruption styles observed with advanced instrumentation. Volcanic Eruptions and Their Repose, Unrest, Precursors, and Timing identifies key science questions, research and observation priorities, and approaches for building a volcano science community capable of tackling them. This report presents goals for making major advances in volcano science.