Volcanoes and the Environment

Volcanoes and the Environment incorporates contributions from some of the foremost authorities in volcanology from around the world to form a comprehensive and accessible text. This book is an indis­ pensable guide for all those interested in how volcanism has affected our planet’s environment in the past and will continue to do so in the future. Spanning a wide variety of topics from geology to climatology and ecology, it also considers the economic and social impacts of volcanic activity on humans. Chapters cover the role of volcanoes in shaping our planet’s environment through the eons, and their effect on the geological cycle; the impacts on atmosphere and climate; impacts on the health of those living on active volcanoes; the role of volcanism on early life; effects of eruptions on modern plant and animal life and implications from these studies; links between large eruptions and mass extinctions; relationships between contrasting human societies and volcanicdisasters; how volcanoes can provide heat energy and supply precious base metals, as well as raw material, for our industries; and impacts of volcanic disasters on the economy. This book is intended for students and researchers interested in environmental change from the fields of earth and environmental science, geography, ecology, and social science. It will also interest and inform policy-makers and professionals working in natural hazard planning and mitigation.joan mart! is a Research Professor at the Institute of Earth Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Barcelona. He studied geology and obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Barcelona in 1986. His Ph.D. research focused on the ancient explosive volcanism of the Pyrenees. Since the begin­ ning of his scientific career, he has conducted much research relating to the structure of calderas (giant collapse craters), and the dynamics of calderaforming eruptions and associated hazards. Dr. Marti has studied explosive volcanism in different modern and ancient volcanic environments. In particular, he has contributed many studies on explosive volcanism in Tenerife (Canary Islands), where he continues to coordinate several research projects. gerald ernst was awarded a B.Sc. in geology and mineralogy from the University of Liege, Belgium, in 1990 and a Ph.D. in Earth sciences from the University of Bristol, UK, in 1997. Following appointments as a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer in volcanology and geological fluid mechanics at the University of Bristol he joined the Belgian National Science Foundation (FWO-Vlaanderen) and the University of Ghent, as a researcher in 2003. He is currently pursuing new research focused on how volcanoes work and how they affect people, their activities, and the wider environment. Dr. Ernst is working to establish the Mercator and Ortelius Research Centre for Eruption Dynamics, and the Joseph Plateau Geological Fluid Dynamic Laboratory at the University of Ghent. He is a Honorary Research Fellow of the University of Bristol, a Scientific Collaborator of the University of Brussels, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Volcanology at Michigan Tech University (USA). He has been the recipient of four awards for his work including the prestigious 2002 Golden Clover Prize of the Fonda tion Beige de la Vocation.