********************** iUNIVERSE ANOUNCES A NEW BOOK ISLAND BORN OF FIRE: Volcano Piton de la Fournaise From: R. B. Trombley, Ph.D. <swvrc@xxxxxxx> ********************** Certainly one of the most spectacular events in nature is an erupting volcano. It is spectacular. Volcanoes can be beautiful, informative, and both beneficial and dangerous. They serve as windows through which we can dimly perceive the interior of the earth. Volcanism occurs in many different styles, principally near tectonic plate boundaries and also, as is the case with Piton de la Fournaise, in the middle of an ocean. Piton de la Fournaise is one of the most active volcanoes in the world today. There is something to be said about the beauty of volcanoes and Piton de la Fournaise is no exception. Piton de la Fournaise contributes to the well being of its tropical island home, Réunion Island. The atmosphere and the oceans originated in volcanic episodes of the distant past and Piton de la Fournaise was born of fire and from the Indian Ocean. Soils derived from the volcanic materials of Piton de la Fournaise are exceptionally fertile on the island. Emissions of volcanic rock, gas, and steam are also important sources of industrial materials and chemicals, such as pumice, boric acid, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. All these elements serve and help support the island. It is Dr. Trombley?s hope that the following work will serve as an insight to this beautiful volcano and this beautiful island. Yes, consider the volcano Piton de la Fournaise. It is nature. It is powerful. It is awesome. It is fire. It is spectacle. It is beauty. It is life. It can be (but has not yet been) death. Says, Dr. Jonathan Dehn, Professor of volcanology at the University of Alaska in his review of the book, ?Not intended for use as a travel guide, this book is a nice compilation of information about Piton de la Fournaise. The book is definitely written for the layman, with many colorful descriptions. he technical sections are easy to understand, and do not dwell on complex ideas unnecessarily. Most of the figures are adequate, and some color photos are included on plates in the appendices. The book begins with a description of the island, and a brief synopsis of its history. It gives an in depth chronology of the volcano, expanding on the information found in other literature. This is of considerable value, since much of the material concerning Piton de la Fournaise is written in French, and not very accessible. The book also gives a description of the operations of the Volcano Observatory, and the techniques used to monitor this volcano. Though short, I found this section of particular interest, for comparison to methods used at other observatories.? Having been an active & registered professional volcanologist for over 40 years, Dr. Trombley has traveled all over the world working and studying volcanoes. In addition, the development of a methodology has been developed, the first of its kind in the world to forecast the eruption of volcanoes. He lives and works in Apache Junction, Arizona and is the Director & Principal Research Volcanologist for the Southwest Volcano Research Centre. The resulting ISLAND BORN OF FIRE: Volcano Piton de la Fournaise, ISBN 0-595- 41775-2, published on 14 November 2006 by iUniverse, Inc., retails for $13.95. It is available from iUniverse.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Amazon.com and directly from SWVRC.org. ============================================================== To unsubscribe from the volcano list, send the message: signoff volcano to: listserv@xxxxxxx, or write to: volcano-request@xxxxxxxx To contribute to the volcano list, send your message to: volcano@xxxxxxxx Please do not send attachments. ==============================================================
