Customer Reviews

Volcanoes in the sea;: The geology of Hawaii

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For those whose observation of landscape and scenery fosters a curiosity to know how it came to be, and for whom increased understanding increases appreciation and enjoyment, this book is nearly perfect.

The first edition of the book was written by two professional geologists in 1970, and revised in 1983 by a third, all of whom spent their careers in Hawaii.

It covers just about every geological and geographical detail one can find on the islands. It includes detailed descriptions of the historic (i.e. viewed and recorded) volcanic eruptions through 1982.

The eruptions since then of course are not covered. Mauna Loa erupted in 1984, and Kilauea has erupted nearly continuously from 1983 to the present, from Pu'u 'O'o and associated vents.
On the other hand, these later eruptions have been very similar in character to earlier ones that are thoroughly described, specifically the 1940 and 1942 eruptions of Mauna Loa and the 1969-1974 eruption of Kilauea at Mauna Ulu.

Also particularly interesting were eyewitness descriptions of the Kilauea eruptions of 1954-1955, most likely by author MacDonald.

This book is a great resource. My only caveat is the absence of any results from the ongoing studies made since 1983. A considerable amount of work has been done since then in investigating the internal structure of the volcanoes, in better dating of the rocks, and especially in mapping the seafloor in much greater detail. For example there is an additional extinct volcano below the surface to the northeast of the big island. It has also become clear with better mapping that massive landslides have played a significant role in shaping the islands. It would be great if this book were brought up to date in these areas, and perhaps others of which I'm not aware.