Fire and Ice: The Volcanoes of the Solar System

by Natalie Starkey

The volcano – among the most familiar and perhaps the most terrifying of all geological phenomena. However, Earth isn't the only planet to harbor volcanoes. In fact, the Solar System, and probably the entire Universe, is littered with them. Our own Moon, which is now a dormant piece of rock, had lava flowing across its surface billions of years ago, while Mars can be credited with the largest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons, which stands 25km high. While Mars's volcanoes are long dead, volcanic activity continues in almost every other corner of the Solar System, in the most unexpected of locations.

We tend to think of Earth volcanoes as erupting hot, molten lava and emitting huge, billowing clouds of incandescent ash. However, it isn't necessarily the same across the rest of the Solar System. For a start, some volcanoes aren't even particularly hot. Those on Pluto, for example, erupt an icy slush of substances such as water, methane, nitrogen or ammonia, that freeze to form ice mountains as hard as rock. While others, like the volcanoes on one of Jupiter's moons, Io, erupt the hottest lavas in the Solar System onto a surface covered in a frosty coating of sulphur.

Whether they are formed of fire or ice, volcanoes are of huge importance for scientists trying to picture the inner workings of a planet or moon. Volcanoes dredge up materials from the otherwise inaccessible depths and helpfully deliver them to the surface. The way in which they erupt, and the products they generate, can even help scientists ponder bigger questions on the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System.

Fire and Ice is an exploration of the Solar System's volcanoes, from the highest peaks of Mars to the intensely inhospitable surface of Venus and the red-hot summits of Io, to the coldest, seemingly dormant icy carapaces of Enceladus and Europa, an unusual look at how these cosmic features are made, and whether such active planetary systems might host life.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Astronomy, Space, Geology, Physics, Audiobook

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 2021

About the author

Natalie Starkey is a former geo- and cosmo-chemist who moved into science communication. Following a PhD at Edinburgh University studying Arctic volcanoes, Natalie's post-doctoral work at The Open University shifted her research focus to comets and asteroids. She has analysed hundreds of pieces of stardust, samples from space missions to comets and asteroids, and many meteorites. Natalie has worked on samples from the NASA Stardust and JAXA Hayabusa missions and was a co-investigator on one of the ESA Rosetta lander instruments.

Natalie's passion for her research makes her a keen science communicator. She received a British Science Association Media Fellowship in 2013 and a SEPnet media communications award the same year. Natalie is a regular contributor to Neil deGrasse Tyson's popular StarTalk Radio and her freelance writing includes work for the Guardian, The Conversation website, All About Space, BBC Science Focus and New Scientist.

Reviews

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fascinating book! Have you ever considered that Earth might be the odd one out, because it has plate tectonics and the other planets in our solar system do not? Well, I certainly never did. The majority of our volcanoes, sitting above tectonic plates diverging from or converging with each other, are actually not really a typical phenomenon, if you broaden your reach beyond our planet. And that is only the start of the journey. This book gives you a great overview of the volcanoes on Earth and then takes you on a spin through our solar system and more unusual types of volcanoes, spewing all kinds of unexpected materials. In the process there is a lot to learn about planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, you name it…

I learned a lot, but have to confess that the constant info dump was a bit much at times. Still, it was a fascinating read and pretty entertaining.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author. She did a good job. Here is a talk she gives about her book: https://youtu.be/4DNMvs96TKg

And her website with blog: https://www.nataliestarkey.com

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fire and Ice is a fascinating and beautifully written popular science book following geologist and cosmologist Natalie Starkey on a journey as she leads you on a tour of the Solar System's tallest, coldest, hottest, and weirdest volcanoes. Earth isn't the only planet to harbor volcanoes. In fact, the Milky Way is littered with them. Fire and Ice explores the Solar System's volcanoes and is an unusual look into how these cosmic features are made and whether they are the key to life on other planets. We tend to think of volcanoes as disgorging hot, molten lava and emitting huge, billowing clouds of incandescent ash. Some planets follow this pattern like Mars, which has the largest volcano in the Solar System and our own Moon which had volcanoes on its surface billions of years ago. But it isn't the same across the rest of the Solar System. Pluto, for example, erupts methane, ammonia, water, and carbon dioxide, substances that freeze to form mountain chains made of ice rather than rock. Fascinatingly, the volcanoes in the Milky Way can be some of the hottest and coldest places on its moons and planets.

Whether they are formed of fire or ice, volcanoes are of huge importance for scientists trying to picture the inner workings of a planet or moon. Volcanoes dredge up materials from the depths and deliver them to the surface. The way in which they erupt and the products they generate can help scientists ponder bigger questions of the possibility of life elsewhere in the Solar System. From the red-hot summits of Jupiter's moon Io, to the coldest, icy carapace of Pluto, Natalie Starkey leads us on an incredible expedition throughout the cosmos to explore volcanoes and what they might mean for the future of our universe. A fascinating, deeply immersive and vividly descriptive romp through a lesser-known part of our solar system, Fire & Ice looks at how scientists explore these exotic cosmic features and relate them to familiar volcanoes on Earth, discovering how these planetary bodies made their surfaces, and whether such active planetary systems might host life. It's is a richly informative, impeccably researched and eminently readable science title and one I highly recommended.

[Kiril Valchev · Rating 4 out of 5]

" Fire & Ice ", от английския учен Натали Старки, ни среща с едни от най-интересните, внушителни и впечатляващи обекти в Слънчевата система - вулканите и тяхната еднакво разрушителна и съзидателна природа. След първите няколко, въвеждащи в земната вулканология, глави, Старки захвърля представката от попрището си на геохимик, заменя я с "космо-" и се отправя на пътешествие сред планетите, луните и астероидите около родната звезда. Там, с изключение на бълващия сяра юпитеров спътник Йо, разтопените силикати отстъпват мястото си на леда и познатите ни вулкани се трансформират в криовулкани. Старки разкрива и бурното минало на вътрешните планети и вълнуващите бъдещи мисии на НАСА и ЕКА до външните.

[Tim Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Popular" or no, this is a science book written by a scientist. It must perforce deal with what is known, and of course we know more about Earth than any other planet. The consequence is that two-thirds of the book is about terrestrial volcanoes, which is a disappointment if you were hoping for a book about planets and moons. By the time I got to Mercury, I had run out of steam, so I can't say my reading experience was a success.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

If hearing "space volcanoes" doesn't make you perk your ears up, do you even have a pulse!?
If, instead, you're one of the lucky ones with a pulse, I warmly recommend you pick this book up posthaste!

"Fire and Ice" is - in addition to a fantastic title for any genre - a brilliant pop-science introduction to, and overview of, volcanoes and the worlds that harbor them. The writing flows and engages, and Starkey strikes a great balance between science and accessibility. The result is an easy and fascinating read that doesn't feel too light on the science (although I wouldn't have minded a slightly heavier lean towards science either).

It's an endlessly fascinating topic, all the more so because most of what we know is essentially educated guesses. I also think this is a particular strength of Starkey's book. She presents what we know and how we know it, all the while throwing up big flags of caution that our exploration of the solar system has, so far, thrown us a healthy does of curve balls and surprises. In other words, she dumbs down the science for us plebes, expressing it in terms that make it easier to digest, but persists in treating her readers like adults.

On a personal note - and adding to a lifetime collection of 'what ifs' - throughout the book I had all kinds of flashbacks to an undergraduate class I took once, 'Geology of the Solar System' (I think it was called). That class was super dry, yet still almost made me switch majors. Had it been delivered in the way similar to how Starkey shares her passion for the subject in this book...

[Monica San Miguel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un compendio geológico exhaustivo de los procesos volcánicos tanto terretres como de los que se producen en el sistema solar (en realidad de las teorias de lo que se piensa que sucede), muy bien explicado y que te atrapa, me ha gustado mucho y no se me ha hecho en ningun momento pesada la descripcion minerealogica que a veces puede pasar en este campo

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book on volcanoes and space?! Yes please. I don’t think you could get more of an epic badass book than space volcanology and it made for such a fantastic book.

It had a wonderful writing style that was so easy to read. It flowed perfectly and really drew the reader in and kept you immersed. It was so in-depth and detailed and I really learnt a lot throughout reading this book.

It covered all sorts of topics, including volcanoes here in earth and why they may be so entwined with the emergence of life, from what makes them, the different kinds you can find and all of the above applied to a cosmic setting. Volcanoes and cryovolcanoes, supervolcanoes and tectonic plates were discussed too.

We hopped over to Io, Europa, Titan, Enceladus, Pluto, Triton, Mars, the moon and some of the planets that we call neighbours. It was so interesting reading about these planets as well as asteroids and the potential hopeful cosmic locations where life may be found.

This book is a fab read for all those interested in space science, geology, natural sciences, geography and the science curious. A great read!

Thank you to the publisher and author via NetGalley for this book in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really lovely, intelligible book that clearly explains current scientific research and exploration into volcanoes in our solar system, from plate tectonics to magnetic fields. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author, and you can really tell that she loves the subject she's talking about.

[Caroline Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject was really interesting but the structure of the book let it down for me. There was so much repetition that it became confusing. It felt like the author didn't trust the reader to remember anything for more than a paragraph.

[Abi Pellinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was gifted an annotated copy of this non-fiction about space volcanoes from Kari and as always she knows my reading tastes so well! I know a fair amount about earthly volcanoes and quakes, but I hadn't learnt much about those features around our solar system and how they differ from our own planet.

The title of this book is a big hint, whilst there are volcanoes on other planets that match our own, there are also ice based volcanoes. A concept that I hadn't even thought of but that makes a lot of sense when the information is presented to you. And whilst we're learning about these extrusions of material, we also learn about the planets themselves, dwarf planets, asteroids and more.

Learning about how scientists are carrying out this research and the implications of that, the possibility of life on other planets and learning more about how these celestial bodies form and exist, was absolutely fascinating. Without volcanoes we would know much less about the inner workings of any planet or moon and seeing how the data gives us this evidence was something I really enjoyed reading.

I will say that if you're here for a casual read it's going to be a little more in depth than you're expecting. It's still very readable but the science is a little more in depth than other volcanology books I've picked up. But if you're intrigued by the concept I do think that it's still very much worth it and I hope you pick the book up and enjoy it!

[Rudi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het boek doet heel wat verwonderen, wat we weten en nadenken over wat we niet weten , met stukjes chemie, geografie, fysica , biologie ( yeti krab ) enz , verveelt het boek nooit en de mooie foto’s en illustraties doen wat wegdromen , er zit veel beweging in het heelal in grote en kleine dingen en er wordt behoorlijk wat gesleurd aan de hemellichamen, de maan die de zee (water) aantrekt blijkt dan nog mee te vallen bij wat er op andere manen gebeurt , . Er wordt veel rondgedraaid en uitgespuwd , … het doet mij wel wat denken aan de grenzen koude ( -270) en warmte (?) bij welke materie al dan niet beweegt, de grenzen van bewegingen ,.. zouden er plaatsen zijn zonder materie of andere materie waar er andere wetten gelden voor tijd , aantrekkingskrachten enz .
Het lijkt moeilijk allemaal te bevatten in deze korte tijd en plaats waar we ons bevinden , … heel toevallig (?) om hier nu samen met de andere levende organismen te zijn
De krachten in het grote en het kleine bekeken uit menselijk perspectief ,
Een mooi boek dat leest als een documentaire met aangenaam enthousiaste begeleidingsstem 5*

[Michelle Ogden · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time listener of Star Talk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, I was fascinated by the interview with Natalie Starkey talking about space volcanoes. Scientists don't have Earth fully figured out, how do they know what is happening on other worlds. She spoke about the various ways to gather information about how other planets, and moons work. I was enthralled. This book Fire and Ice further discusses topic that were mentioned on that podcast.

It is fascinating how similar the planetary bodies of our solar system are and how differently they developed or stopped developing. Starkey explains things in detail without overloading the reader with science lingo. If you have done the typical science fair volcano project you can follow along and learn so much more about our little corner of space.

I look forward to more titles from Natalie Starkey in the future.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fine introductory treatment of volcanism, with emphasis on cryovolcanoes and their presence on many of our planetary neighbors. The book incorporates a basic explanation of Earth-like volcanoes, and then moves on to an engaging explanation of the other sorts of volcanism likely to be encountered on other planets and their satellites. The tone is engaging throughout and even readers acquainted with the basic science will find much of interest here. With the renewed interest in bodies like Europa this seems an especially well-timed contribution to the popular science literature.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book, I would certainly recommend it to people who are very interested in either volcanoes or the local astronomical neighborhood (people interested in both have probably already read it). The only thing is, I'm not super into either of those things so even though I learned a lot, the topic(s) were not enough to keep me engaged and I often found myself getting pretty sleepy while reading it. I think it could have used more human elements, not a lot necessarily, but a paragraph or two more of biography and anecdotes around the volcanologists and astronomers who made some of these discoveries might have livened up the reading experience a bit.

Anywho, turns out our moon used to have active volcanoes, maybe as recently as 100M years ago, neat!

[Pippin · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 coolest things from this book!!!

1. jupiter getting its magnetic field from hydrogen metal???? wild

2. carbonatite (basically limestone) magmas coming out of rift-area volcanoes like Ol Doinyo Lengai

3. apparently titan has a methane cycle the way earth has a water cycle??? get the hydrology girlies on this

4. what do you MEAN most of venus’ surface is less than 600 million years old, completely erasing almost all of its tectonic history, meaning anything could’ve happened before then but we have no idea and never will what do you MEAN

5. extremophile microbes suited specifically to anomalously high or low PHs my beloveds <3

subject was very cool, dense and unstructured writing style was less cool :/

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volcanoes have fascinated me for a long time, but I must admit that I hadn't given much thought to volcanoes on other planets. When I read the blurb for "Fire and Ice: The Volcanoes of the Solar System" I realised that here was a whole new avenue to explore - and what an exploration it turned out to be. It's written in a very engaging way, talking us through gently without too much heavy science. I found this book really exciting, and I'll be keeping my ear to the ground for new discoveries in this area.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie Starkey's Fire and Ice: The Volcanoes of Our Solar System is an absolute delight for anyone with an interest in astronomy, planetary science, or the sciences in general. Written for non-scientists, its language is clear and precise. Starkey walks a fine balance between too much generalization/simplification and overwhelming lay readers with detail. Her love of and enthusiasm for the subject comes across clearly and is infectious. This is a title you can read for pleasure, as well as to inform yourself.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and interesting perspective on volcanos throughout the solar system. You hear volcano and you think of the massive eruptions on Earth, but most of the planets and moons out there have volcanoes as well. While some might be long dead and others might just emit ice vs magma, they are out there. This work takes the reader through all the key details of volcanoes, how they work on Earth and the comparisons to those away from Earth. Takes a reader back to grade school but with a lot of more modern science.

Worth the read, as it is interesting and a good read for non-astronomer/physicist/vulcanologist.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really neat look at volcanoes (and therefore to some degree, geology in general) among the planets and moons of the solar system. This was a different kind of space non-fiction book than I usually listen to, and I really enjoyed it. However, I got really annoyed at the constant use of both metric and Imperial measurements. From a science non-fiction book, I expect metric only (or at least MOSTLY) and having both measurement systems used made me start taking this book less seriously... and that's a shame, because there's some really good information here. I think it annoyed me more because I listened to the audio version.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense read but a really interesting one about space volcanoes! And also Earth volcanoes, since our current instrumentation hasn't quite let us send equipment down to the surfaces of the more-extreme environments of the planets and moons of the Solar System (we've been able to get to Mars, but that's volcanically inactive at the moment). Starkey takes us through the ways scientists are using Earth geology, chemistry, physics, imaging, etc. and comparing it with data provided from various space missions to learn more about the composition and geologic life outside of our planet. Very interesting.

[Canadian Scholar · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is based in an interesting and compelling premise- that we can learn quite a lot about bodies in our solar system based on volcanic processes. And it mostly succeeds in delivering on that concept. Yet it is really slow moving and reads as if the text is expanding to fill the word count allotted to the book, rather than presenting a concise discussion. Most facts in the book are spot on and correct, but, importantly, anorthosite (the moon) is comprised of calcium sodium feldspar, not potassium sodium feldspar (pg 216).

[Beaumont · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone with a very very basic geological knowledge, I enormously enjoyed this book! It delves into not only what kinds of volcanoes exist, but also the mechanisms that are necessary to result in volcanic activity. It was all explained in scientific yet terms understandable to a layperson. I loved that the entire book focused on the topic and was not combined with a memoir. Personally I find a lot of fascinating topics like this are 80% memoir, which is not what I’m looking for. This book did so well with that! I was engaged the entire time!

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where are the pictures, the maps, the diagrams? The author is clearly a bona fide expert in her field but the book is quite heavy on technical details and after a while I found myself lost. There is are a vanishingly small quantity of photos in the center of the book but this content really needs plenty of visual aids to make it accessible to the layperson. Some parts of the book are interesting but I struggled to penetrate beyond the broad concepts. Creating visual aids would have undoubtedly inflated the cost of the book, but as things are it felt like a missed opportunity.

[Melissa Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued to learn more about space volcanoes! In order to better understand these space volcanoes, we need to learn more about the volcanoes are Earth. Did you know that the ice volcanoes are called cyrovolcanoes?

Fiery planets, ice worlds...volcanoes on Earth and in space...

Very interesting book to read. Not too jargony ( all jargon was defined in an easy to understand way).

I highly recommend this book and I am very likely to read more works by this author.

[James Easterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

While not quite as readable or entertaining as another book I recently read on the subject, and despite a few minor numerical errors near the beginning of the book, this book gives a comprehensive review of each of the major and minor players that make up our solar system, of their make up, volcanics, their chances of life, and what and how we have learned about them. A good worthy read to increase your knowledge.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book on a unique subject comparing the variety of volcanoes in the planets and moons of the solar system with the science behind these different places explained in detail.
A glossary of the scientific terms used would made reading this book easier.
The writing could be smoother. The Tambora and Krakatoa eruptions are both described as the largest in human history three pages apart.

[WinterGirl83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! I very much enjoyed Natalie's book. It's written at a level that beginners to volcanoes of the solar system will understand but also for those who are already knowledgeable about the subject. I learned a lot from this book and hope to study down this route online in the future. Thanks Natalie! :)

[Amy Servos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was excellent. One of the first non-fiction books that I found out how little I actually know about a subject, fueled further questions, and had some more in-depth information that satisfied my inner nerd. I'm not sure how to find books that are similar in this way but I hope I have some on my shelf yet to read.

[Ben Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has an amazing ability to communicate science in a really interesting and information dense way. I learned so much! I think a little more editing would have been the cherry on top for me. The incorrect Celsius to Fahrenheit conversions and a few unfinished ideas were a bit bothersome. Overall great read! Changed the way I view volcanoes, the Earth and what it means to be a magma.

[The Inquisitive Biologist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire & Ice is both a fascinating Solar-System tour of volcanoes and a primer on volcanism on Earth and beyond. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2021...