Alien Volcanoes

by Rosaly M.C. Lopes, Michael Carroll

At once terrifyingly destructive and awe-inspiringly beautiful, volcanoes have long fascinated humankind. From Vesuvius and Etna to Krakatau and Mount Saint Helen’s, these molten rock- and ash-spewing geysers have destroyed whole cities and countless lives, and altered the course of history. Yet our understanding of volcanoes on Earth—and throughout the celestial world—remains maddeningly incomplete. With Alien Volcanoes , Rosaly M. C. Lopes and Michael W. Carroll offer a dynamic tour of volcanic activity across the solar system. Through eight gracefully written chapters laced with gripping photographs and stunning artwork, Lopes and Carroll survey the complete spectrum of volcanism in time and location, from the solar system’s origin to the modern era and from the familiar shield volcanoes of the terrestrial worlds to the bizarre superchilled geysers on distant ice moons. In the process, they entertain the possibility of hidden lakes on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, discuss the potential effects of greenhouse gases on Neptune’s moon Triton, reconstruct the last moments of life for Pompeiians in the face of an erupting Mount Vesuvius, and explain how a 4,000-mile-long river of lava could have once flowed freely across the plains of Venus. Richly illustrated with original paintings supplemented by NASA and European Space Agency photographs, Alien Volcanoes advances our knowledge of volcanoes on other heavenly bodies, enhances our ability to comprehend how they came into being on Earth, and describes how we might better predict the impact of future eruptions.

Genres: Geology, Science

176 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Ann Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reference drawing tantalizing comparisons between volcanoes here on Earth to those in space. Punctuated with marvelous color and black and white photographs illustrating their points, Rosaly M. C. Lopes and Michael W. Carroll make some great conclusions. The ongoing state of cryovulcanism on some distant planets and moons may remain unknown at the moment, but plate tectonics coupled with the composition of matter on these alien worlds, may help to explain what telescopes and space probes have been able to tell us thus far.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Alien Volcanoes to anyone who has ever stared up at the night sky - searching for answers. This is a good read for everyone.

Ann B. Keller

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few natural phenomena have inspired as much mythology as the volcano. It's easy to see why. A smoldering crater in the earth that seems to arbitrarily spout fire is going to be worshipped or feared (or both) by prescientific peoples.

As for the science of volcanoes, that seemed to mostly be settled, a matter of plate tectonics, tidal action, and one of the perils of having a molten core at the center of your planet.

Except recent fly-bys and even some short-lived landings on other planets and their satellites have shown that there are volcanoes that behave in ways we have yet to understand. These volcanoes don't always spout fire, either. Some of them spew weird cryogenic flows, rich in nitrogen, that behave more like ice than lava, and fill pools of clathrate ice with beautiful-hued ejecta that looks as strange as anything you were likely to see in an old SF pulp.

"Alien Volcanoes" deals with both phenomena, the alienness of our own volcanoes and those of literally alien worlds. It's lavishly illustrated, filled with false color photos, stereoscopic shots, and thermal imaging. It turns out it's hard to take pictures tens of thousands of miles away from home when the temperature is hot enough to melt instruments (or cold enough to freeze them). There's even a chapter on mythology, and the way that fascination with volcanoes has erupted (hee-he) in popular culture. Sadly, no mention is made of "Joe versus the Volcano." Despite that oversight, however, I wholeheartedly recommend "Alien Volcanoes," both for its pretty pictures and its lofty words.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book examines basically all the volcanoes in the solar system, and explores the science and geology around each of them. What I especially love is when it gets weird - what DO volcanoes look like on the frozen moons of Jupiter? In addition, the art is magnificent - there is a combination of both satellite imaging and genuine artwork by artists.

[Christopher Obert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Come on, Volcanoes on other planets! How cool is that? Nice book!