Fire & Ice: The Cascade Volcanoes

by Stephen L. Harris

written before the eruption of Mt St Helens. very interesting predictions about the probable outcome. if the mountain ever blew

Genres: Geology, Science

316 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1976

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Stephen L. Harris is Professor Emeritus of Humanities and Religious Studies at California State University, Sacramento, where he served ten years as department chair. A Woodrow Wilson Fellow, he received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University. A member of the Society of Biblical Literature, his publications include Understanding the Bible (8th edition, 2011); The Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (with Robert Platzner); Classical Mythology: Images and Insights (with Gloria Platzner); Exploring the Bible; and Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes, a survey of volcanic hazards on the U.S. Pacific Coast; and for National Geographic Books, Restless Earth, a study of global earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. He contributed the chapter on “Archaeology and Volcanism” to the Encyclopedia of Volcanoes (Academic Press, 2000).

Reviews

[Eric Asmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book decades ago at Lassen NP......I am fascinated by volcanoes, and this book is well written for a novice. It has a glossary, but you can just refer to it as you read the book. The book has the histories of each of the Cascade mountains, but detailed accounts of a couple of episodes at Mt. Rainier, and the Lassen eruption. The one thing missing is the final cataclysm of Mt. St. Helens, which is why the author later revised the book and brought it out as "Fire Mountains of the West" Same book, basically, but with the St. Helens chapter revised and an added chapter on Long Valley Caldera- a completely different (And much more dangerous) volcano on the eastern side of the Sierras.

[Michael Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look at the geology and history of the cascades. Great chapter on rainier.

[Stan]

I reread this book in light of the 40th anniversary of the May 18, 1980 eruption of St. Helens. I have both pre eruption edition and the post eruption update. Brought back lots of memories.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing intimate look at the Cascades. Made me understand them more than I thought possible through a book. Makes me want to explore them for myself.

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book devotes short chapters to every major mountain in the Cascades starting in northern California and stopping in southern Canada. Most of the geological history only goes back a few tens of thousand of years. There's a lot of repetitious writing where identical sounding lava flows and other events are listed out, I would have appreciated more emphasis on what makes the mountains unique.

There are many different editions of this book, one updated to 2005, this one was almost comically rushed to press around March 1980 just before Mt. St. Helens erupted but shortly after some activity on the mountain was becoming noticeable.

[Steve Van Slyke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this many years ago. Recall enjoying it very much.

[Aaron Litt · Rating 5 out of 5]

An older version of "Fire Mountains of the West." Excellent, but dated. Read it when I was a kid, happily reading the new version right now!

[Danny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating stuff. Not too dense that I was bored to death, though i didn't finish it. Basically the same stuff over and over. I got the idea.