| Description |
ix, 260 pages : illustrations, maps ; 27 cm |
| Contents |
1. The Heat Below -- 2. From the Stone Age to Volcano Myths -- 3. The Bronze Age Eruption of Thera and Lost Atlantis -- 4. Subterranean Wind and Internal Combustion -- 5. The Plinian Eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79 -- 6. The Chimneys of Hell -- 7. Renaissance and Earth Science -- 8. Burning Mountains and Cooling Stars -- 9. Columnar Basalt and the Neptunists -- 10. The First Field Volcanologists -- 11. Baron Munchausen in the Volcano -- 12. Chemical Reactions as the Source of Heat in the Earth -- 13. From Fluid to Solid Earth -- 14. Melting by Decrease in Pressure -- 15. Radioactive Heat and Convection -- 16. The Source of Magmas |
| Summary |
From prehistoric times to the fiery destruction of Pompeii in 79 A.D. and the more recent pyrotechnics of Mount St. Helens, volcanic eruptions have aroused fear, inspired myths and religious worship, and prompted heated philosophical and scientific debate. Melting the Earth chronicles humankind's attempt to understand this terrifying phenomenon and provides a fascinating look at how our conception of volcanoes has changed as knowledge of the Earth's internal processes has deepened over the centuries. Drawing liberally from classical sources and firsthand accounts, this chronicle is not only a colorful history of volcanology, but an engrossing chapter in the development of scientific thought |
| Notes |
Includes bibliographical references (p. [230]-246) and index |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references |
| Subject |
Volcanism.
|
|
Volcanoes -- Study and teaching -- History.
|
|
Volcanoes.
|
| LC no. |
98020299 |
| ISBN |
0195106652 (acid-free paper) |
|
