This book provides the first comprehensive compilation of cutting-edge research on Merapi volcano on the island of Java, Indonesia, one of the most iconic volcanoes in the world. It integrates results from both the natural (geology, petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, physical volcanology) and social sciences, and provides state-of-the-art information on volcano monitoring, the assessment of volcanic hazards, and risk mitigation measures. As one of Indonesia’s most active and dangerous volcanoes, Merapi is perhaps best known for its pyroclastic density currents, which are produced by gravitational or explosive lava dome failures (commonly referred to as Merapi-type nuées ardentes). Merapi’s eruptions have posed a persistent threat to life, property and infrastructure within the densely populated areas on the volcano’s flanks, as demonstrated most recently by catastrophic eruptions, which attracted worldwide media interest.

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

In Saving animals from volcanoes, readers will meet the courageous people and organizations that rush in to save animals when disasters strike.

Although geodetic monitoring techniques have been widely used in areas of seismic or volcanic activity, the difficulty inherent to their discrete nature means that they must be deployed carefully to ensure the best possible detection or sensitivity of these points (see e. g. , BALDI and UNGUENDOLI, 1987; JOHNSON and WYATT, 1994; SEGALL and MATTHEWS, 1997; Yu et al. , 2000). In many cases, a more global monitoring method, is required yet at the same time one that offers the highest level of sensitivity which enables detection of the phenomenon. Interferometry radar (InSAR) techniques have been shown to play an important role in seismic and volcanic monitoring because they cover large areas (100 x 100 km) and can be easily systematized in monitoring (see e. g. , MASSONNET and FEIGL, 1998; BDRGMANN et al. , 2000; MASSONNET and SIGMUNDSON, 2000; HANSSEN, 2001). The limitations inherent to the GPS and InSAR techniques (mainly observations at discrete surface points in the case of GPS and existence of non-coherent areas and the fact that, at present, the three displacement components cannot be obtained in SAR interferometry) can be overcome by using them together or other techniques (e. g. , PUGLISI and COLTELLI, 2001; RODRiGUEZ-VELASCO et al. , 2002; FERNANDEZ et al. , 2003).

The New Wider World Coursemate for AQA C GCSE Geography provides summaries of key content and key ideas to support AQA's 2001 Geography C specification.

Written for a broad audience this book offers a comprehensive account of early warning systems for hydro meteorological disasters such as floods and storms, and for geological disasters such as earthquakes. One major theme is the increasingly important role in early warning systems played by the rapidly evolving fields of space and information technology. The authors, all experts in their respective fields, offer a comprehensive and in-depth insight into the current and future perspectives for early warning systems. The text is aimed at decision-makers in the political arena, scientists, engineers and those responsible for public communication and dissemination of warnings.

The 1990s have seen a growing interest in the role of local ecological knowledge in the context of sustainable development, and particularly in providing a set of responses to which populations may resort in times of political, economic and environmental instability. The period 1996-2003 in island southeast Asia represents a critical test case for understanding how this might work. The key issues explored in this book are the creation, erosion and transmission of ecological knowledge, and hybridization between traditional and scientifically-based knowledge, amongst populations facing environmental stress (e.g. 1997 El Niño), political conflict and economic hazards. The book will also evaluate positive examples of how traditional knowledge has enabled local populations to cope with these kinds of insecurity.