The first comprehensive assessment of global volcanic hazards and risk, with detailed regional profiles, for the disaster risk reduction community. Also available as Open Access.

Land Remote Sensing and Global Environmental Change: The Science of ASTER and MODIS is an edited compendium of contributions dealing with ASTER and MODIS satellite sensors aboard NASA's Terra and Aqua platforms launched as part of the Earth Observing System fleet in 1999 and 2002 respectively. This volume is divided into six sections. The first three sections provide insights into the history, philosophy, and evolution of the EOS, ASTER and MODIS instrument designs and calibration mechanisms, and the data systems components used to manage and provide the science data and derived products. The latter three sections exclusively deal with ASTER and MODIS data products and their applications, and the future of these two classes of remotely sensed observations.

This collection of papers is based on a symposium held in 1987 at the Interna tional Union of Geology and Geodesy Congress in Vancouver, British Colum bia. The Symposium was planned as a follow-up to a session at the 1984 Geo logical Society of America Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada, which dealt with the emplacement of silicic lava domes. In both cases, emphasis was placed on the physical and mechanical rather than chemical aspects of lava flow. The IUGG Symposium consisted of two lecture sessions, a poster session, and two discussion periods, and had 22 participants. The contributions to this volume are all based on papers presented in the various parts of the Sym posium. The motivation for studying lava flow mechanics is both practical and scientific. Scientists and government agencies seek to more effectively predict the hazards associated with active lavas. Recovering mineral resources found in lava flows and domes also requires an understanding of their emplacement. From a more theoretical standpoint, petrologists view lava studies as a way to directly observe the rheologic consequences of mixing crystals, bubbles, and solid blocks of country rock with silicate liquids. This information can then be used to constrain processes occurring in the concealed conduits, dikes, and chambers that feed flows and domes on the surface.

What are the real risks posed by a volcanic eruption near a city – what is fact and what is myth? How have volcanic eruptions affected cities in the past, and how can we learn from these events? Why do communities continue to develop in such locations, despite the obvious threat? In this fascinating book, Grant Heiken explores global examples of cities at risk from volcanoes, from Italy, the US, Mexico, Ecuador, The Philippines, Japan and New Zealand, providing historical and contemporary eruption case studies to illustrate volcanic hazards, and cities' efforts to respond to them, both good and poor. He shows that truly successful volcanic hazard mitigation cannot be accomplished without collaboration between experts in geology and natural hazards, public health, medicine, city and infrastructure planning, and civil protection. This is a topical and engaging read for anyone interested in the history and future activity of these dangerous neighbors.