What does it take for a volcanic eruption to really shake the world? Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs, or help humans to evolve, only to decimate their populations with a super-eruption 73,000 years ago? Did they contribute to the ebb and flow of ancient empires, the French Revolution and the rise of fascism in Europe in the 19th century? These are some of the claims made for volcanic cataclysm. Volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer explores rich geological, historical, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records (such as ice cores and tree rings) to tell the stories behind some of the greatest volcanic events of the past quarter of a billion years. He shows how a forensic approach to volcanology reveals the richness and complexity behind cause and effect, and argues that important lessons for future catastrophe risk management can be drawn from understanding events that took place even at the dawn of human origins.
Eruptions that Shook the World
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"I have to thank God on my knees that Oppenheimer's book did not exist at the time I made my decision to become a filmmaker. I might have become a volcanologist instead." Werner Herzog, Film director and producer
"With his characteristic sparkling brilliance, Oppenheimer expertly recasts the latest scientific findings on how volcanoes work as a compelling and readable account that conveys the enduring human fascination for Nature's fiery outbursts and their capacity to transform life on this planet." Professor Iain Stewart, Geologist and BBC TV presenter
"In his explosive book Clive Oppenheimer brilliantly shows how the history of volcanoes and people is a tangled account. From our earliest ancestors to travellers battling with the effects of ash clouds on airline flights, our evolutionary destiny has been played out in the shadow of volcanoes, often with disastrous results." Professor Clive Gamble, Archaeologist, Royal Holloway, University of London
"This is forensic geology in the widest sense and an exciting guided tour of the major volcanic and climatic disasters experienced by human kind. Oppenheimer has a rare talent for bringing the science and history together in a clear and engaging way." Professor Michael Rampino, Geologist, New York University
"Writing in his inimitably lively and witty style, Clive Oppenheimer takes us through deep time and deep into volcanoes, teaching us how they work and demonstrating how powerful eruptions have often jostled the human toehold on survival. This tour de force is an astonishingly provocative roadmap to the once and future history of Earth." Dr. Dave Pieri, Volcanologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
"Oppenheimer romps through the geological past, detailing some of the major volcanic events and their global impact. ... well worth diving into." Kate Ravilious, New Scientist
"The hellfire-and-brimstone case studies ... seem like a product of a Hollywood screenwriter's imagination ... only they describe real events." Laurence A Marschall, Natural History October 2011
"Set out to make the average reader's murky perception of volcanoes a bit clearer, and managed to write a compelling tome fit for any to enjoy, coming as close to brilliant storytelling as a scientist is able...The more dry explanations were succinct, the exciting bits explored thoroughly and boredom averted completely. Oppenheimer made his prose modern by drawing comparisons with carefully chosen pop culture terms and euphemisms that should stay relevant for some time to come. 5 OUT OF 5 STARS" Meredith Greene, San Francisco Book Review
"Oppenheimer uses all sorts of evidence to unravel the stories behind some of the greatest and most significant volcanic cataclysms. ... I recommend Eruptions That Shook the World" Don L. Anderson, Physics Today
"...Oppenheimer explores the entanglement of human history and volcanic activity with rare and insightful brilliance....This book should be on the shelves of all volcanologists, historians, and environmental planners. It is a lively read for all citizens concerned with human futures." -T. L. T. Grose, CHOICE
"With his characteristic sparkling brilliance, Oppenheimer expertly recasts the latest scientific findings on how volcanoes work as a compelling and readable account that conveys the enduring human fascination for Nature's fiery outbursts and their capacity to transform life on this planet." Professor Iain Stewart, Geologist and BBC TV presenter
"In his explosive book Clive Oppenheimer brilliantly shows how the history of volcanoes and people is a tangled account. From our earliest ancestors to travellers battling with the effects of ash clouds on airline flights, our evolutionary destiny has been played out in the shadow of volcanoes, often with disastrous results." Professor Clive Gamble, Archaeologist, Royal Holloway, University of London
"This is forensic geology in the widest sense and an exciting guided tour of the major volcanic and climatic disasters experienced by human kind. Oppenheimer has a rare talent for bringing the science and history together in a clear and engaging way." Professor Michael Rampino, Geologist, New York University
"Writing in his inimitably lively and witty style, Clive Oppenheimer takes us through deep time and deep into volcanoes, teaching us how they work and demonstrating how powerful eruptions have often jostled the human toehold on survival. This tour de force is an astonishingly provocative roadmap to the once and future history of Earth." Dr. Dave Pieri, Volcanologist, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
"Oppenheimer romps through the geological past, detailing some of the major volcanic events and their global impact. ... well worth diving into." Kate Ravilious, New Scientist
"The hellfire-and-brimstone case studies ... seem like a product of a Hollywood screenwriter's imagination ... only they describe real events." Laurence A Marschall, Natural History October 2011
"Set out to make the average reader's murky perception of volcanoes a bit clearer, and managed to write a compelling tome fit for any to enjoy, coming as close to brilliant storytelling as a scientist is able...The more dry explanations were succinct, the exciting bits explored thoroughly and boredom averted completely. Oppenheimer made his prose modern by drawing comparisons with carefully chosen pop culture terms and euphemisms that should stay relevant for some time to come. 5 OUT OF 5 STARS" Meredith Greene, San Francisco Book Review
"Oppenheimer uses all sorts of evidence to unravel the stories behind some of the greatest and most significant volcanic cataclysms. ... I recommend Eruptions That Shook the World" Don L. Anderson, Physics Today
"...Oppenheimer explores the entanglement of human history and volcanic activity with rare and insightful brilliance....This book should be on the shelves of all volcanologists, historians, and environmental planners. It is a lively read for all citizens concerned with human futures." -T. L. T. Grose, CHOICE
Book Description
Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs and shape human civilisation? Clive Oppenheimer explores the greatest volcanic events of the past quarter of a billion years, using rich geological, historical, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records. His forensic approach to volcanology links cause and effect, providing important lessons for future catastrophe risk management.
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More About the Author
Clive Oppenheimer is Professor of Volcanology at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the gases that come out of volcanoes, and what they tell us about how volcanoes erupt. He is happiest when pointing spectrometers into the maw of Erebus volcano in Antarctica to read the pulse of its lava lake. But he has wider interests in the intersections of geology, climate, ecology, archaeology and anthropology, which are the focus of his book 'Eruptions that shook the world'. He co-authored the popular 'Volcanoes' textbook with Peter Francis, and has contributed to several TV and film documentaries, including Werner Herzog's 'Encounters at the End of the World'.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By G. Poirier
Format:Hardcover
I gave this book the above rating mainly because it is clear, authoritative, well-written and covers just about every feature of past volcanic eruptions that, I believe, really matters: scientific/technical aspects, environmental effects and impacts on humanity. Also, it is a topic that I find quite fascinating.
After describing in technical detail how volcanoes work, the substances that they emit, their effects on the environment and techniques used to date eruptions, the author reconstructs past volcanism based on available evidence, e.g., geological, archaeological, ice cores, tree rings, etc. He also focuses on a few well-studied eruptions and on lessons learned from them. This information is then used in the reconstructions of likely past eruptions of various volcanoes - both unknown and known - hence the term "forensic volcanology" on which this book focuses. The final chapter contains a discussion on the risks due to volcanoes and on possible emergency preparedness plans for those who could be affected by future eruptions.
With such a catchy title, one would expect that the book would be aimed at the general reader wishing to painlessly learn more about volcanic eruptions. The book certainly has much to offer. However, because it is rather technical and can be a bit heavy-going at times, I believe that it would be better suited for serious science buffs. It could also be used as a supplementary text in university courses on volcanoes and their effects.
After describing in technical detail how volcanoes work, the substances that they emit, their effects on the environment and techniques used to date eruptions, the author reconstructs past volcanism based on available evidence, e.g., geological, archaeological, ice cores, tree rings, etc. He also focuses on a few well-studied eruptions and on lessons learned from them. This information is then used in the reconstructions of likely past eruptions of various volcanoes - both unknown and known - hence the term "forensic volcanology" on which this book focuses. The final chapter contains a discussion on the risks due to volcanoes and on possible emergency preparedness plans for those who could be affected by future eruptions.
With such a catchy title, one would expect that the book would be aimed at the general reader wishing to painlessly learn more about volcanic eruptions. The book certainly has much to offer. However, because it is rather technical and can be a bit heavy-going at times, I believe that it would be better suited for serious science buffs. It could also be used as a supplementary text in university courses on volcanoes and their effects.
10 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs, or help humans to evolve?
August 16, 2011
Format:Hardcover
****
"In his explosive book, Clive Oppenheimer brilliantly shows how the history of volcanoes and people is a tangled account. From our earliest ancestors to travelers battling with the effects of ash clouds on airline flights, our evolutionary destiny has been played out in the shadow of volcanoes, often with disastrous results." -- Clive Gamble, University of London
Global disasters make head news, and mega volcanoes resonate more than most. Often, the deadliest eruptions, like tsunamis come out of the blue. The author argues that such past events, when understood, is key to surviving the future. That could hold far greater disasters than the last recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano that shut down Europe's air space. From the Bay of Naples to the River Don, the little-known eruption, which devastated southern Italy happened some 39,000 years ago just as Europeans were developing stone tools. These are stories that don't make the Discovery Channel. Two centuries ago eruption of the Laki volcano, whose poisonous smog killed tens of thousands, as far away as England and France, not just in Iceland only. Death tolls are not the only measure of an eruption's influence on the society. Oppenheimer shows how a forensic approach to volcanoes geology reveals the richness and complexity behind the cause and effect.
Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs, or help humans to evolve, only to exterminate their populations with a super-eruption 73,000 years ago? From just the first chapter, the author's compelling style in the world of volcanoes becomes evident in his chronicles of "Eruptions That Shook The World." He narrates his books mission, "In a way, what I wanted to do with the book was to imagine what the world would be like today if all the volcanoes had been switched off a few million years ago - how different would have been the human trajectory?," Oppenheimer begins by detailing the geoscience and the geological engineering behind volcanoes development and eruption, in a scholarly fashion. He keeps the readers' minds open as he covers topics from eruption styles, to the vastness of the role volcanoes have played in our world. He argues that important lessons for future catastrophe risk management can benefit from analyzing the events that took place, even as far in time, at the dawn of human origins.
Oppenheimer, a volcano geologist, was the consultant on some of these films, tops them all with a book, full of scientific detail, recounting stories of eruptions that really did change the world. Oppenheimer avoids environmental determinism, rather, he thoughtfully makes his case that volcanoes and humankind have been intertwined throughout history. Volcano geologist Clive Oppenheimer explores colorful archaeological, geological, historical, and ancient environmental records to tell the stories behind some of the greatest volcanic events. The eloquent author said during a recent interview that his research is not yet complete, "my main pursuit, is to develop the tools we need to interpret the chemistry of gases released from volcanoes, that we might measure in the clouds released from a crater, tell us about whether or not the volcano it is more likely to erupt today than it was yesterday?" So,"Oppenheimer takes us through deep time and deep into volcanoes, teaching us how they work and demonstrating how powerful eruptions have often jostled the human toehold on survival." Dr Dave Pieri, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Book Contents: Preface; 1. Fire and brimstone: how volcanoes work; 2. Eruption styles, hazards and ecosystem impacts; 3. Volcanoes and global climate change; 4. Forensic volcanology; 5. Relics, myths and chronicles; 6. Killer plumes; 7. Human origins; 8. The ash-giant/sulphur-dwarf; 9. European volcanism in prehistory; 10. The rise of Teotihuacán; 11. Dark Ages: dark nature?; 12. The Haze famine; 13. The last great subsistence crisis in the western world; 14. Volcanic catastrophe risk; Appendix A. Volcano trumps: notable eruptions of the past 10,000 years; Appendix B. Further reading; Index.
"In his explosive book, Clive Oppenheimer brilliantly shows how the history of volcanoes and people is a tangled account. From our earliest ancestors to travelers battling with the effects of ash clouds on airline flights, our evolutionary destiny has been played out in the shadow of volcanoes, often with disastrous results." -- Clive Gamble, University of London
Global disasters make head news, and mega volcanoes resonate more than most. Often, the deadliest eruptions, like tsunamis come out of the blue. The author argues that such past events, when understood, is key to surviving the future. That could hold far greater disasters than the last recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano that shut down Europe's air space. From the Bay of Naples to the River Don, the little-known eruption, which devastated southern Italy happened some 39,000 years ago just as Europeans were developing stone tools. These are stories that don't make the Discovery Channel. Two centuries ago eruption of the Laki volcano, whose poisonous smog killed tens of thousands, as far away as England and France, not just in Iceland only. Death tolls are not the only measure of an eruption's influence on the society. Oppenheimer shows how a forensic approach to volcanoes geology reveals the richness and complexity behind the cause and effect.
Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs, or help humans to evolve, only to exterminate their populations with a super-eruption 73,000 years ago? From just the first chapter, the author's compelling style in the world of volcanoes becomes evident in his chronicles of "Eruptions That Shook The World." He narrates his books mission, "In a way, what I wanted to do with the book was to imagine what the world would be like today if all the volcanoes had been switched off a few million years ago - how different would have been the human trajectory?," Oppenheimer begins by detailing the geoscience and the geological engineering behind volcanoes development and eruption, in a scholarly fashion. He keeps the readers' minds open as he covers topics from eruption styles, to the vastness of the role volcanoes have played in our world. He argues that important lessons for future catastrophe risk management can benefit from analyzing the events that took place, even as far in time, at the dawn of human origins.
Oppenheimer, a volcano geologist, was the consultant on some of these films, tops them all with a book, full of scientific detail, recounting stories of eruptions that really did change the world. Oppenheimer avoids environmental determinism, rather, he thoughtfully makes his case that volcanoes and humankind have been intertwined throughout history. Volcano geologist Clive Oppenheimer explores colorful archaeological, geological, historical, and ancient environmental records to tell the stories behind some of the greatest volcanic events. The eloquent author said during a recent interview that his research is not yet complete, "my main pursuit, is to develop the tools we need to interpret the chemistry of gases released from volcanoes, that we might measure in the clouds released from a crater, tell us about whether or not the volcano it is more likely to erupt today than it was yesterday?" So,"Oppenheimer takes us through deep time and deep into volcanoes, teaching us how they work and demonstrating how powerful eruptions have often jostled the human toehold on survival." Dr Dave Pieri, NASA Jet Propulsion Lab
Book Contents: Preface; 1. Fire and brimstone: how volcanoes work; 2. Eruption styles, hazards and ecosystem impacts; 3. Volcanoes and global climate change; 4. Forensic volcanology; 5. Relics, myths and chronicles; 6. Killer plumes; 7. Human origins; 8. The ash-giant/sulphur-dwarf; 9. European volcanism in prehistory; 10. The rise of Teotihuacán; 11. Dark Ages: dark nature?; 12. The Haze famine; 13. The last great subsistence crisis in the western world; 14. Volcanic catastrophe risk; Appendix A. Volcano trumps: notable eruptions of the past 10,000 years; Appendix B. Further reading; Index.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I'm no geologist or vulcanologist, and while I found most of the beginning rock-narrative to be almost incomprehensible (then again, I hardly tried), I was dazzled by the second half of "Eruptions that Shook the World". There are some spectacular implications written into these pages; of the origin of homo sapiens, of an explanation for why we are who we are as a species, of the geography, climate, and history of our planet, and of the spread of humanity. I couldn't help but feel like a substantial missing-piece to my worldview puzzle was filled by this novel, and I'd recommend it to anybody.
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