Volcanoes in America's National Parks (Odyssey Guides) [Paperback]

Robert Decker (Author), Barbara Decker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001 | Series: Odyssey Guides

Erupting volcanoes like Kilauea in Hawaii, and sleeping volcanoes like Mount Rainier in Washington State are the core features of 31 of the National Parks and Monuments in the United States. In addition, ancient fires that once fed a chain of volcanoes along the crest of the Sierra Nevada in California, now completely eroded away, melted the great granite masses that eventually hardened and eroded into the land that is now Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

This book tells where and how volcanoes are created, and describes the beautiful and awesome examples found in the USA's National Parks and Monuments. It also provides updated travel information on reaching and enjoying these magnificent places, and is beautifully illustrated in Odyssey's distinctive style. This guide provides an original formula for understanding the world beneath our feet. 120 color photos, 26 maps & plans.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Located on what geologists call the "creaking and leaking edges" of crustal plates, the earth's volcanoes have created awe-inspiring if sometimes frightening landscapes. Many such landscapes within the United States have come under federal protection, and nearly 40 national parks and monuments have volcanoes as their central theme or significant attraction.

In this informative and delightful guide to those parks, volcanologist Robert Decker and science journalist Barbara Decker offer notes on the geological history of such well-known venues as Mount Rainier, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Yosemite, whose volcanic features include deep lakes, geysers, and ancient magma chambers. They move farther afield in introducing their readers to places like Alaska's Katmai National Park, which houses three sometimes active volcanoes and 12 dormant ones; Hawaii's Haleakala National Park, which encompasses the youngest volcano on Maui and one of the largest of those on what's called the Hawaiian Hot Spot; California's Devils Postpile National Monument, whose tall columns of basalt are among the rarest geological features on the continent; and Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument, where cooled pyroclastic flows have weathered into a sea of rock pillars called "hoodoos."

The Deckers provide visitor information as well as geological notes, making this a fine addition to a rockhound's collection and a useful book to consult when you're planning a vacation. --Gregory McNamee

Review

Decker's wealth of experience helps capture the grandeur of our volcanic National Parks in this informative, beautifully-illustrated, well-written book. -- Dallas Peck, Former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey

[A]n informative, beautifully illustrated and well-written book. -- Dallas Peck, Former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Odyssey (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9622176771
• ISBN-13: 978-9622176775
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #78 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Earth Sciences > Geology > Volcanology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Take An Excellent National Park Adventure With The Deckers, February 11, 2002

By 

Bruce Crocker "agnostictrickster" (Whittier, California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Volcanoes in America's National Parks (Odyssey Guides) (Paperback)

When it comes to volcanoes, Robert and Barbara Decker know their stuff. If someone wants one reference on volcanoes, I recommend Volcanoes by the Deckers. Volcanoes In America's National Parks is an excellent addition to the literature of volcanoes AND the literature of America's parks. The book covers all the National Parks, Monuments, and Preserves in the United States that have current, recent, or extinct volcanoes and volcanic activity. Part One of the book is a section that covers the basics of volcanoes. Then the book takes each Park, Monument, and Preserve one by one. Part Two takes on the parks with volcanoes that have current or recent volcanic activity, such as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park [Kilauea is most likely erupting as I type this review] and Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument [the memorable eruption in 1980]. Part Three covers the parks with more ancient volcanic activity, such as Yellowstone National Park [a place teetering on the edge of erupting some day and moving into Part Two] and the Mojave National Preserve [a park I fought hard to get and one of my favorite places to explore - especially the cinder cones near Cima and the eroded volcanic tuffs of Hole-In-The-Wall]. Each park gets a generous description and an excellent map. I've been to about half of the parks described and I'm familiar with many of the rest, and the Deckers do an entertaining and accurate job with those parks. Part Four covers parks with less direct connections to volcanoes, such as Yosemite National Park [ancient magma chamber] and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument [ancient critters killed, buried, and preserved by volcanic ash]. Part Four is one of the nicer features of the book, since the parks mentioned often have too tenuous a connection to volcanoes for many authors to include them in this kind of write up. As an earth science educator, I appreciate the inclusion of Part Four, because it makes Volcanoes In America's National Parks a most complete volcanic education. The book is a 5 star plus and the only way I could see the Deckers improving it would be to bring out a second edition that gives the parks mentioned in Part Four the same one by one treatment as the other parks mentioned. I recommend this book to anybody with an interest in volcanoes and especially for folks with a desire to get out in the field and learn their volcanology first hand.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Volcanoes in America's National Parks, March 2, 2004

By 

K Scheffler (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Volcanoes in America's National Parks (Odyssey Guides) (Paperback)

While I really enjoyed this book, the chapters were only several pages long and consisted of little more than brief, impersonal histories of the various parks and their volcanoes. Included are numerous photos. So this is essentially a coffee-table book in tradepaperback format.

The following parks are featured in this book:

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
Katmai National Park and Preserve
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve
Wrangell--St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Haleakala National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Crater Lake National Park
Newberry National Volcanic Monument
Lava Beds National Monument
Devils Postpile National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Mojave National Preserve
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Yellowstone National Park
Capulin Volcano National Monument
El Malpais National Monument
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

There are also chapters dealing with general aspects and features of volcanic activity.

Overall, a good book.