Product Description

Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis is the essential guide to these fascinating natural hazards. These three phenomena pose the most frightening geological events with which we inhabitants of planet earth have to contend. This book focuses on plate tectonics before delving into the intricacies of each one of these hazards so that you soon have a clear understanding of what causes them, how they relate to each other, how they can be predicted and ultimately, their effects and consequences.

Each aspect is explained in a jargon-free and accessible style, ensuring that often complex concepts and theories are easy to get to grips with.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89629 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-29
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Review

"a useful resource"
"comprehensive and reliable"

About the Author
David Rothery is a very well respected volcanologist and geologist. He is a senior lecturer at the Open University. His international collaborative research on active volcanoes has taken him to places as diverse as Hawaii, the Americas, Indonesia and Italy.

Customer Reviews

Learn about the underlying causes of the natural disasters that you see reported on the television
I got this book as part of an Open University introductory short course. The book is written in a very clear and easy to read style. Although the author uses correct scientific terminology, all of the words are introduced when they are first used and there is a glossary for when you forget what something means! This book is a brilliant way for the layperson to learn something about the causes of natural disasters and how and why they can or cannot be predicted. At £6.99 Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis is an absolute bargain and has given me an understanding of the processes behind the devastation we see on the television news reports.

Need to know more about volcanoes - this is the book for you!
I too got this book as part of an OU course.

It's a comprehensive introduction to the subject of volcanoes, tsunamis and earthquakes with some really meaty chapters describing the events, but written in a style which is clear to understand.

Well worth the money.

So much more than just lava, wobbles and waves!
This introduction to volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis really opened my eyes to how much is involved in each process, and how much they're interrelated. It packs a lot of information into just under 300 pages.
Over half the book's content is on volcanoes, but this does include some science which overlaps with the other topics, eg seismic waves. There are plenty of examples of all 3, and these include a human element, "keeping it real", rather than just a load of cold science.
The glossary was invaluable for reference as I went, and considering the limitations of black & white photos, the illustrations are helpful, and there were plenty of diagrams to explain the various processes. There are some colour plates in the middle of the book too.

As the basis for the OU short course I took, this was an excellent text, but it would also be fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in these phenomena who'd like to learn more.