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Scientists in the Field
Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives
“At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.” Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction book—filled with spectacular photographs and sidebars—Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia.
80 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2013
5 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Rusch
30 books71 followersELIZABETH RUSCH is an award-winning book author, magazine writer, editor, writing teacher and speaker. Her wide-ranging passions include astronomy, volcanology, art, music, history, nature, waves, jokes, crayons, and mud — anything that catches her fancy. She is inspired by stories of exploration and discovery, stories that have been overlooked by history, and stories that grapple with persistent questions. Whether writing fiction or nonfiction for children or adults or teaching workshops, she hopes her work opens doors, opens minds, opens possibilities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews
March 15, 2018
I’ve been interested in volcanoes since I was a kid, so of course I eagerly snatched this book up when I saw it on the shelf, and all the more so when I saw that it’s part of the award-winning Scientists in the Field series. It did not disappoint. Author Rusch follows the scientists of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), based in the United States, as they help their fellow volcanologists around the world. She begins by describing the disastrous eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia in 1985, then moves on to describe the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 and how the VDAP was formed. Her chapter on the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which VDAP successfully predicted, thereby saving thousands of lives, including those at nearby American Clark Air Base, was especially suspenseful and thrilling to read. Lastly, she describes VDAP’s efforts to assist Indonesian volcanologists monitor their many volcanoes. Throughout the book, Rusch includes explanations of how volcanoes work. Of particular interest, on page 20, was a set of seismographic readings showing the progression of earthquake activity as a volcano gets ready to erupt. She concludes with a “volcano vocabulary” and a list of books, articles, and web sites for further reading. It was comforting to know that these people are monitoring the world’s volcanoes, to warn us so that we can get out of their way when they're ready to blow. Recommended for volcano watchers young and old!
September 2, 2016
This is the fourth book I've read in the Scientists in the Field series, and now I believe I should read every single one. I have to respect the cohesion and quality of this series (see entire list at www.sciencemeetsadventure.com), especially since they're written by a variety of authors.
The clear photos, excellent captions, extensive vocabulary/glossary, thorough notes, bibliography - including web resources, and index are solid additions to a lively and captivating text.
The well-paced storytelling and use of first names for the scientists conveys the immediacy, suspense, and drama that would have accompanied these cataclysmic events as they unfolded in real life. This book (like others in the series) is so much better than books on the same topic written twenty years ago. The author allows the scientists to convey their sense of the significance and their experience of excitement and fear - rather than exaggerating the news, inventing dialog, or quoting random witnesses who could offer more heart-wrenching exclamations but less understanding.
In addition, readers gain a depth of understanding that is an essential supplement to news reports -- giving the material an added significance and purpose.
The clear photos, excellent captions, extensive vocabulary/glossary, thorough notes, bibliography - including web resources, and index are solid additions to a lively and captivating text.
The well-paced storytelling and use of first names for the scientists conveys the immediacy, suspense, and drama that would have accompanied these cataclysmic events as they unfolded in real life. This book (like others in the series) is so much better than books on the same topic written twenty years ago. The author allows the scientists to convey their sense of the significance and their experience of excitement and fear - rather than exaggerating the news, inventing dialog, or quoting random witnesses who could offer more heart-wrenching exclamations but less understanding.
In addition, readers gain a depth of understanding that is an essential supplement to news reports -- giving the material an added significance and purpose.
May 18, 2014
There are more than 1500 potentially active volcanoes around the world. More than 50 erupt each year. The United States alone has approximately 169 potentially active volcanoes.
On the afternoon of November 13, 1985, in Colombia, South America, a snow-covered mountain named Nevado del Ruiz, blasted ash into the sky and showered down on the village of Armero. People feared that the mountain would completely erupt, yet no one left because it stopped just a few hours later – only to start up again, this time unleashing a fury of hot ash and melted rock and gases. Still the people stayed. They felt they were relatively safe, being 45 miles away. But the mudflow of gases, ash, and rock tore down the side of the mountain and avalanched into rivers. As the mudflow surged closer to the village of Armero, it was too late for the people to evacuate. By the time it was over, 23,000 people had died.
US Scientists began questioning – could they have prevented this tragedy? From the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Washington, where they were studying Mt St Helens, geologist were taking gas samples, surveying the crater, and studying deposits from the mountain – and they learned that while they couldn’t prevent a volcano from erupting, they DID learn that volcanoes generally announce when they may erupt – hours, days, even weeks ahead of time.
They could have read the signs that Nevado del Ruiz was sending, and perhaps they could have prevented such a loss of life.
Out of this was born the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program. These scientists study spewing volcanoes all over the world in an attempt to predict eruptions.
This book is filled with fascinating photographs of these scientists as they climb volcanoes, set up monitoring stations, and work with the people who live in the shadows of these volcanoes every day.
On the afternoon of November 13, 1985, in Colombia, South America, a snow-covered mountain named Nevado del Ruiz, blasted ash into the sky and showered down on the village of Armero. People feared that the mountain would completely erupt, yet no one left because it stopped just a few hours later – only to start up again, this time unleashing a fury of hot ash and melted rock and gases. Still the people stayed. They felt they were relatively safe, being 45 miles away. But the mudflow of gases, ash, and rock tore down the side of the mountain and avalanched into rivers. As the mudflow surged closer to the village of Armero, it was too late for the people to evacuate. By the time it was over, 23,000 people had died.
US Scientists began questioning – could they have prevented this tragedy? From the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Washington, where they were studying Mt St Helens, geologist were taking gas samples, surveying the crater, and studying deposits from the mountain – and they learned that while they couldn’t prevent a volcano from erupting, they DID learn that volcanoes generally announce when they may erupt – hours, days, even weeks ahead of time.
They could have read the signs that Nevado del Ruiz was sending, and perhaps they could have prevented such a loss of life.
Out of this was born the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program. These scientists study spewing volcanoes all over the world in an attempt to predict eruptions.
This book is filled with fascinating photographs of these scientists as they climb volcanoes, set up monitoring stations, and work with the people who live in the shadows of these volcanoes every day.
December 13, 2013
I was immediately sucked into the story of the brave and resourceful scientists of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program. The book focuses on two of the VDAP's greatest triumphs -- their studies of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, and Mount Merapi in 2010. In both cases, the VDAP scientists accurately predicted major eruptions a few days before they occurred, enabling evacuations that saved tens of thousands of lives. Elizabeth Rusch's sentence-level writing is engaging, and I thought she did very well at bringing the reader right into the middle of the action.
I have some questions, however, about places where the style -- and, more especially, the editing -- seemed to get in the way of the Presentation of Information item in the Newbery criteria. For instance, the text mentions the technical word "fumaroles" twice, once in a chart on page 10, and in the main text on page 11, without either defining the word or explicitly referring the reader to the glossary in the back. However, when the word appears in the main text on page 15, it's defined within the sentence -- and then defined again, using almost the exact same words, on page 21. Additionally, on page 63, the text lists the name of a village as Dusun Petung, but the photo caption simply calls it Petung. The map on page 8 also misspells the name of Mount Rainier. Those are small points, to be sure, but in an informational text, I don't think we can just ignore them.
When I finished Eruption!, I was glad to have read it, and I felt like I'd learned a lot about an organization I'd never before even heard of. I don't think, however, that it has that je ne sais quoi that the best of last year's titles did, and I find the sloppy editing troubling.
A longer version of this review appears at abouttomock.blogspot.com
I have some questions, however, about places where the style -- and, more especially, the editing -- seemed to get in the way of the Presentation of Information item in the Newbery criteria. For instance, the text mentions the technical word "fumaroles" twice, once in a chart on page 10, and in the main text on page 11, without either defining the word or explicitly referring the reader to the glossary in the back. However, when the word appears in the main text on page 15, it's defined within the sentence -- and then defined again, using almost the exact same words, on page 21. Additionally, on page 63, the text lists the name of a village as Dusun Petung, but the photo caption simply calls it Petung. The map on page 8 also misspells the name of Mount Rainier. Those are small points, to be sure, but in an informational text, I don't think we can just ignore them.
When I finished Eruption!, I was glad to have read it, and I felt like I'd learned a lot about an organization I'd never before even heard of. I don't think, however, that it has that je ne sais quoi that the best of last year's titles did, and I find the sloppy editing troubling.
A longer version of this review appears at abouttomock.blogspot.com
January 19, 2014
Everyone knows that volcanoes are dangerous, but not everyone knows about the specially trained crew of scientists who study and monitor volcanoes in order to try and predict when they will erupt so lives can be saved. After using the tale of the Nevado del Ruiz eruption as an example of the destructive force of volcanoes and the need for warning systems, Rusch goes on to introduce the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), what they do, and how they are actively trying to save lives. Much of this is told through their work before the eruptions of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines and Mount Merapi in Indonesia. The informative but accessible text is accompanied by spectacular full-color photographs and little sidebars to explain scientific ideas and terms.
This is a great resource for 4th-12th grade classes studying geology or science-related professions. It's being tossed around right now as a possible Newbery contender, but I don't think the writing is quite that excellent that it'll grip kids to keep reading (it pales and appears merely average in comparison to past non-fiction that have earned shiny stickers, like Bomb). Still a great resource and great non-fiction addition to libraries.
Notes on content: One instance of mild profanity (probably won't even register to some readers). Rusch doesn't beat around the bush about the lives lost during eruptions, so there are several hundred deaths reported in this book. One picture shows two girls looking at graves of eruption victims and the bones are above ground, so the picture includes a human skull and other bones.
This is a great resource for 4th-12th grade classes studying geology or science-related professions. It's being tossed around right now as a possible Newbery contender, but I don't think the writing is quite that excellent that it'll grip kids to keep reading (it pales and appears merely average in comparison to past non-fiction that have earned shiny stickers, like Bomb). Still a great resource and great non-fiction addition to libraries.
Notes on content: One instance of mild profanity (probably won't even register to some readers). Rusch doesn't beat around the bush about the lives lost during eruptions, so there are several hundred deaths reported in this book. One picture shows two girls looking at graves of eruption victims and the bones are above ground, so the picture includes a human skull and other bones.
January 1, 2014
Just about every book in the Scientists in the Field series is engrossing, and this one is no exception. Filled with fast facts, interesting description of how scientists work in the field, and fabulous photographs, this book explains the work of volcanologists who are working to track the changes in the more than 1,500 volcanoes across the world. Using sophisticated instruments and constant observation, they measure changes in the amount of tremors, ash, cones, and temperatures of these volcanoes in order to predict what they might do next and be able to save lives. While the author mentions various scientists, she doesn't go into great detail about each of them but focuses more on their united effort to keep an eye on volcanoes. The book mainly focuses on eruptions in Columbia, the Philippines, and Mount Merapi, Indonesia. Because readers are along for the ride before and after the volcanoes erupt in several instances, they are able to understand how swift the destruction can be and how science is being used to save lives that would be lost otherwise. Interestingly, many of those who evacuated from the volcano's path end up moving back. This is another good addition to a science classroom because it encourages questions and conversations about volcanoes and other natural disasters.
May 16, 2018
This book offers an exciting and informative look at the science of volcanology. It contains anecdotal stories from volcanic eruptions in the U.S. (Mount St. Helens), Colombia (Nevado del Ruiz), the Philippines (Mount Pinatubo), and Indonesia (Mount Merapi).
My husband had some injects into this tale as we read it, since he was in the Philippines just prior to the eruption. His helicopter unit left two days before and he remembers all of the commotion leading up to it.
The book is part of the Scientists in the Field series. We've read a few of the books in this series and they are terrific. We all learn something new when we read these books.
The narrative is detailed without being boring or overwhelming and the color photographs really help to show the scenes, the action, and especially the danger.
Overall, we found this book to be very educational and entertaining. We really enjoyed reading it together.
My husband had some injects into this tale as we read it, since he was in the Philippines just prior to the eruption. His helicopter unit left two days before and he remembers all of the commotion leading up to it.
The book is part of the Scientists in the Field series. We've read a few of the books in this series and they are terrific. We all learn something new when we read these books.
The narrative is detailed without being boring or overwhelming and the color photographs really help to show the scenes, the action, and especially the danger.
Overall, we found this book to be very educational and entertaining. We really enjoyed reading it together.
September 20, 2020
When I picked this book off the shelf at my local library, because of it's size I assumed it was a children's picture book. Not at all. What greeted me was a well written, non-fiction book about volcanoes, eruptions, and the science of predicting eruptions. This book would serve to whet the appetite of any young volcanologist. Hats off to Elizabeth Rusch for a thorough, very interesting work on how, following the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in the US, volcanologists around the world have worked together to build the science of eruption prediction.
Rusch uses the build up and eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia in 2010 and how the predictive science was used successively there to save many thousands of lives. She also identified the efforts post-eruption to better understand the specifics of the eruption. I learned a great deal from this book and I'm very interested to read more books in this series.
Rusch uses the build up and eruption of Mount Merapi in Indonesia in 2010 and how the predictive science was used successively there to save many thousands of lives. She also identified the efforts post-eruption to better understand the specifics of the eruption. I learned a great deal from this book and I'm very interested to read more books in this series.
August 5, 2016
Loved this book, and the content was gripping! The reason it got 4 rather than 5 stars has more to do with design for me. It felt a little chaotic at times--the lack of consistency in how the photos were captioned and the horrible yellow-encased page numbers that kept drawing my eye away from the text. And at times, there were SO MANY features/sidebars/graphics that they really interrupted my thinking process about the subject at hand. So I loved the actual writing in this book, and I found it fascinating, but I would have liked a slightly less frenetic design, one that allowed the main text to be interrupted less frequently so that I wasn't constantly jolted out of the wonderful storytelling here.
January 15, 2014
Made me think about how cool it would be to be a volcanologist, which is not easy since I'm generally not a science person. There were nice details about how people living near volcanos are affected to keep the scientists' work in perspective.
January 14, 2014
Excellent information and great photographs. A fascinating, appealing package.
Read
June 28, 2021Love this series. Aimed at kids, and being discussed in Children's Books group here on GR, June 2021, but for all ages really.
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I was busy with my first brand-new baby and did not hear about the 23,000 lost in Armero. Wow. This book quickly sums up the horrifying history of the mismanagement of the warnings the volcano gave the local residents. And that's just the prologue.
Carefully skimming the book.
Not my field of interest, but still finding fascinating bits. Politics and sociology, for example, are related fields, as the volcanologists can only advise evacuations, but leaders have to call for them.
Also interesting is the post-mortem which may not be one... there are indication that Mount Merapi may only be warming up for another, perhaps bigger, eruption, as the analysis after the 2010 eruptions. One of the statistics from that struck me is that 18 kilometers out, the layer of ash in the soil was 3 cm deep. Seems like a lot to me!
I liked that the emphasis was on saving lives with science. Yes, it's clear that there's adventure, but you don't become a volcanologist for the thrill; it's not a sport. I also very much appreciate that local scientists are featured. Thank goodness we don't have to deal with White Savior issues.
Anyway, another worthy book in this great series.
---
I was busy with my first brand-new baby and did not hear about the 23,000 lost in Armero. Wow. This book quickly sums up the horrifying history of the mismanagement of the warnings the volcano gave the local residents. And that's just the prologue.
Carefully skimming the book.
Not my field of interest, but still finding fascinating bits. Politics and sociology, for example, are related fields, as the volcanologists can only advise evacuations, but leaders have to call for them.
Also interesting is the post-mortem which may not be one... there are indication that Mount Merapi may only be warming up for another, perhaps bigger, eruption, as the analysis after the 2010 eruptions. One of the statistics from that struck me is that 18 kilometers out, the layer of ash in the soil was 3 cm deep. Seems like a lot to me!
I liked that the emphasis was on saving lives with science. Yes, it's clear that there's adventure, but you don't become a volcanologist for the thrill; it's not a sport. I also very much appreciate that local scientists are featured. Thank goodness we don't have to deal with White Savior issues.
Anyway, another worthy book in this great series.
October 1, 2013
So this is the third title I've reviewed in HMH's Scientists in the Field series. Based on this sample, I really like the series.
What I don't like is how HMH is hitching its wagon to the dim star of the Common Core State Standards. The standards movement has little to recommend itself to anyone. There is no research to show that this reform movement has accomplished anything that wouldn't have happened just by leaving schools alone. Standards linked with testing have only created more problems and taken our country's children further from learning either content or useful processes for the past 20 years. CCSS was just a non-educators' stab at repackaging crap. No matter what kind of paper you wrap it in, it's still crap.
I was disappointed to read that Elizabeth Rusch has been caught up in this short-sighted (and likely short-lived 'accountability' exercise). There are more than ten states now working to distance themselves from CCSS and repeal their connections to CCSS and PARCC, and this before they have even gained much traction at all. One of my editors asked us not to reference CCSS in our upcoming edition because of how it is not gaining the momentum for a comprehensive rollout everyone anticipated. And we don't need a national curriculum anyway.
But the content in this series is still great! If the CCSS were just given to authors and publishing houses instead of to testing companies and school districts and kids, maybe we'd see more high-quality series like this. I was riveted by this book, and the narrative thread following three major eruptions (four, including the base narrative of St Helens) kept me moving forward from chapter to chapter. It was written like a cliffhanger. The scientists are the main characters in each set of chapters, and Rusch brilliantly sets the non-US scientists at the forefront of the narrative! An excellent multicultural text.
The fact that Rusch and Uhlman went to Indonesia to do live research during the eruption of Merapi was absolutely amazing. Upshot: I am sitting here in 2013 reading an obviously well-produced (i.e., time-consuming) book with research that reaches only back to 2010-2011. This kind of currency is extremely rare! I didn't follow Merapi when it was happening, so all this information was new to me, and I felt parochial for having only sketchy awareness that something so significant was happening just a couple of years ago.
Uhlman's photographs throughout the book were breathtaking, and the recentness of the Indonesia/Merapi set made it even more so. There are very few stock companies in the photo credits, and more scientific and news organizations, along with Uhlman and even three by Rusch. This lends the book even more credibility as a journalistic piece.
What I don't like is how HMH is hitching its wagon to the dim star of the Common Core State Standards. The standards movement has little to recommend itself to anyone. There is no research to show that this reform movement has accomplished anything that wouldn't have happened just by leaving schools alone. Standards linked with testing have only created more problems and taken our country's children further from learning either content or useful processes for the past 20 years. CCSS was just a non-educators' stab at repackaging crap. No matter what kind of paper you wrap it in, it's still crap.
I was disappointed to read that Elizabeth Rusch has been caught up in this short-sighted (and likely short-lived 'accountability' exercise). There are more than ten states now working to distance themselves from CCSS and repeal their connections to CCSS and PARCC, and this before they have even gained much traction at all. One of my editors asked us not to reference CCSS in our upcoming edition because of how it is not gaining the momentum for a comprehensive rollout everyone anticipated. And we don't need a national curriculum anyway.
But the content in this series is still great! If the CCSS were just given to authors and publishing houses instead of to testing companies and school districts and kids, maybe we'd see more high-quality series like this. I was riveted by this book, and the narrative thread following three major eruptions (four, including the base narrative of St Helens) kept me moving forward from chapter to chapter. It was written like a cliffhanger. The scientists are the main characters in each set of chapters, and Rusch brilliantly sets the non-US scientists at the forefront of the narrative! An excellent multicultural text.
The fact that Rusch and Uhlman went to Indonesia to do live research during the eruption of Merapi was absolutely amazing. Upshot: I am sitting here in 2013 reading an obviously well-produced (i.e., time-consuming) book with research that reaches only back to 2010-2011. This kind of currency is extremely rare! I didn't follow Merapi when it was happening, so all this information was new to me, and I felt parochial for having only sketchy awareness that something so significant was happening just a couple of years ago.
Uhlman's photographs throughout the book were breathtaking, and the recentness of the Indonesia/Merapi set made it even more so. There are very few stock companies in the photo credits, and more scientific and news organizations, along with Uhlman and even three by Rusch. This lends the book even more credibility as a journalistic piece.
January 9, 2014
In 1991 I followed the eruption of Mount Pinatubo with some interest, having spent a portion of my US Navy enlistment in the Philippines, and having traveled home back to the United States from Clark Air Force base. Having this volcanic event as a significant part of Eruption Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives by Elizabeth Rusch made this a must read for me. I discovered that Eruption! is an outstanding and compelling look at volcanoes, at the work of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), and at many scientists and observers around the world.
Eruption! begins with a look including photographs at the destruction and many casualties from the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia. Determined to improve the prediction of volcanic eruptions, the VDAP is formed and begins to study and fine tune measurement of volcanic activity. It also begins to develop specific measurement devices and train scientists from other countries how to install and use such devices.
After looking at the evacuation prior to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, and at z Volcano Training Camp, Eruption! shifts to the study of Mount Merapi in Indonesia and its successful evacuation in 2010. Later measurements and observations after the eruption are noted, as are the contributions of observers of Mount Merapi. Photographs really help tell the story here, many of them taken by Tom Uhlman. Seismographic information, maps, and informational boxes all assist in understanding this scientific story. An excellent bibliography and glossary are included. There are some small errors and minor editing concerns.
Most crucial is the pacing, and sense of danger and tension in the text which will carry readers into this story of scientists working to save lives by improving the imperfect science of predicting when volcanos are most likely to erupt. Young people and adults alike will learn from the presentation used here. Last Fall while watching a TV report of another volcano in Indonesia, I though I recognized the name
Surono, an Indonesian volcanologist, as having been one of the main people mentioned in this Scientists in the Field title. It was indeed the same person I had learned about from reading Eruptions! further emphasizing the currency and impact of the information this story imparts. 4.5 stars.
I strongly recommend Eruption! for school and public library collections. For science, volcanoes, scientists, multicultural, geography, and fans of Elizabeth Rusch and the Scientists in the Field Series.
Eruption! begins with a look including photographs at the destruction and many casualties from the 1985 eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in Colombia. Determined to improve the prediction of volcanic eruptions, the VDAP is formed and begins to study and fine tune measurement of volcanic activity. It also begins to develop specific measurement devices and train scientists from other countries how to install and use such devices.
After looking at the evacuation prior to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, and at z Volcano Training Camp, Eruption! shifts to the study of Mount Merapi in Indonesia and its successful evacuation in 2010. Later measurements and observations after the eruption are noted, as are the contributions of observers of Mount Merapi. Photographs really help tell the story here, many of them taken by Tom Uhlman. Seismographic information, maps, and informational boxes all assist in understanding this scientific story. An excellent bibliography and glossary are included. There are some small errors and minor editing concerns.
Most crucial is the pacing, and sense of danger and tension in the text which will carry readers into this story of scientists working to save lives by improving the imperfect science of predicting when volcanos are most likely to erupt. Young people and adults alike will learn from the presentation used here. Last Fall while watching a TV report of another volcano in Indonesia, I though I recognized the name
Surono, an Indonesian volcanologist, as having been one of the main people mentioned in this Scientists in the Field title. It was indeed the same person I had learned about from reading Eruptions! further emphasizing the currency and impact of the information this story imparts. 4.5 stars.
I strongly recommend Eruption! for school and public library collections. For science, volcanoes, scientists, multicultural, geography, and fans of Elizabeth Rusch and the Scientists in the Field Series.
November 10, 2013
I chose this book as my Scientist in the Field book. The source is Dr. Kimmel. I was very intriqued by the cover of this book-which is a picture of a volcanic eruption rising out of the background and engulfing the palm trees and pretty much everything in its path. I think that children would most definitely be drawn to this cover and want to know more. This book opens with the terrible tale of a volcano the erupted and literally buried the surrounding city including the 23,000 inhabitants. Therefore, volcanologists are determined to help prevent these types of events from happening by using their tools and knowledge to follow these volcanos and figure out when they will erupt and encourage the local government to evacuate. The book tells of these volcanologists and their journeys in helping those around the world. In addition, the book gives a lot of useful information about volcanos. The organization of this book was great. It was set up in a chronological format to tell the journey these scientist took to help save people from devastating eruptions. The style of writing was interesting at times, but because I was unfamiliar with many of their methods for studying volcanoes I was at a loss at times. The pictures and diagrams were great though! They really put the whole story so to speak in perspective on how big these massive volcanoes can be and how much of an impact they can have on civilization. The information is credible and accurate because it is cited and available in the back of the book, which is accessible to confirm with on the internet. I learned a lot about volcanos and think that this would be a great book for a student learning about volcanos or even for a research project/paper on volcanos.
June 17, 2013
This newest addition to the 'Scientists in the Field' series from Houghton Mifflin keeps to the high standards of its predecessors. Eruption highlights the work of VDAP, the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program that came into being after the deathly eruption of Nevado Del Ruiz near Armero, Columbia. Thousands of people died in that blast, most of those deaths could have been prevented. Geologists and volcanologists can't yet predict exactly when a volcano will erupt but the science has come a long way, thanks to the ongoing work being done at Mount St. Helens. Scientists in the VDAP group have made it their mission to help countries dealing with active volcanoes. They share their services and training around the world to help local scientists gain the skills needed to save lives and property in their countries.
The author and photographer follow a group of Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) volcanologists and geologists into the field in the aftermath of Mount Merapi's recent eruption in Indonesia. There the VDAP scientists work alongside several Indonesian scientists as they survey the damage from the recent eruption and work to determine whether another eruption is in the making.
Readers will be given a close-up look at the work of the scientists in the field as they drop from helicopters, lug heavy equipment through jungles and up volcano slopes and design and build specialized tracking equipment. Inside tips and scientific details are shared in this real-life exposé of an exciting but extremely dangerous field of science.
The author and photographer follow a group of Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) volcanologists and geologists into the field in the aftermath of Mount Merapi's recent eruption in Indonesia. There the VDAP scientists work alongside several Indonesian scientists as they survey the damage from the recent eruption and work to determine whether another eruption is in the making.
Readers will be given a close-up look at the work of the scientists in the field as they drop from helicopters, lug heavy equipment through jungles and up volcano slopes and design and build specialized tracking equipment. Inside tips and scientific details are shared in this real-life exposé of an exciting but extremely dangerous field of science.
December 4, 2018
Summary:
In this non-fiction book, the author tells its readers through ten chapters about the dramatic affects that volcanoes can bring.In one chapter, the author discusses whether to evacuate or not from a volcanic eruption as well as highlight several volcanoes around the globe. This book includes a significantly dense bibliography and glossary that explains some of the lesser-known words associated with volcanoes. Eruption follows several stories including the volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi in October 2010 in Indonesia. This eruption ultimately moved so quickly that many residents did not have the opportunity to evacuate in time and over 30 people die in the eruption.
Evaluation:
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful book. It was full of many useful facts about volcanoes and the eruption‘s that may often occur. This book also uses powerful pictures to show the after effects of the Mount Merapi eruption. Although this book seems advanced for upper elementary, it could be used to explain some of the seismic activity involved with volcanic eruptions and the pictures can be used to show the dramatic after effects of a volcanic eruption.
Teaching Idea:
This book would be excellent to use when discussing destructive and constructive forces in a fifth grade classroom. The teacher could use this book as a way to show students how volcanoes can be both destructive and constructive. The students could then draw a picture in their science journal to highlight one of the sections of the book discussing what might be seen during or after a volcanic eruption.
In this non-fiction book, the author tells its readers through ten chapters about the dramatic affects that volcanoes can bring.In one chapter, the author discusses whether to evacuate or not from a volcanic eruption as well as highlight several volcanoes around the globe. This book includes a significantly dense bibliography and glossary that explains some of the lesser-known words associated with volcanoes. Eruption follows several stories including the volcanic eruption of Mount Merapi in October 2010 in Indonesia. This eruption ultimately moved so quickly that many residents did not have the opportunity to evacuate in time and over 30 people die in the eruption.
Evaluation:
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful book. It was full of many useful facts about volcanoes and the eruption‘s that may often occur. This book also uses powerful pictures to show the after effects of the Mount Merapi eruption. Although this book seems advanced for upper elementary, it could be used to explain some of the seismic activity involved with volcanic eruptions and the pictures can be used to show the dramatic after effects of a volcanic eruption.
Teaching Idea:
This book would be excellent to use when discussing destructive and constructive forces in a fifth grade classroom. The teacher could use this book as a way to show students how volcanoes can be both destructive and constructive. The students could then draw a picture in their science journal to highlight one of the sections of the book discussing what might be seen during or after a volcanic eruption.
August 19, 2013
Another excellent addition to the "Scientists in the Field" series. There are lots of volcano books for kids at the library, but I'd venture to say this is the best (especially for ages 9 to 12).
The true danger of volcanoes has never been so palpable on the page. Author Elizabeth Rusch takes readers all over the globe to visit some of the world's most explosive volcanoes and we get to meet the people living at their doorsteps, along with the scientists whose main priority is keeping folks out of harm's way. It's trickier than it sounds. Evacuating an area around an active volcano means hugely disrupting people's lives. What if you tell them to flee and you're wrong? What if you don't tell them to flee and they die?
This book has local interest for Washington state, too. Obviously, we are in the Ring of Fire and Mt. St. Helens lurks. But did you know that the VDAP (Volcano Disaster Assistance Program) has offices in Vancouver, Washington, at the Cascades Volcano Observatory? (You can check our volcano alert level here: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatori....)
Wonderfully written, with awesome photography, and packed with information, I imagine this will inspire some future vulcanologists.
The true danger of volcanoes has never been so palpable on the page. Author Elizabeth Rusch takes readers all over the globe to visit some of the world's most explosive volcanoes and we get to meet the people living at their doorsteps, along with the scientists whose main priority is keeping folks out of harm's way. It's trickier than it sounds. Evacuating an area around an active volcano means hugely disrupting people's lives. What if you tell them to flee and you're wrong? What if you don't tell them to flee and they die?
This book has local interest for Washington state, too. Obviously, we are in the Ring of Fire and Mt. St. Helens lurks. But did you know that the VDAP (Volcano Disaster Assistance Program) has offices in Vancouver, Washington, at the Cascades Volcano Observatory? (You can check our volcano alert level here: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatori....)
Wonderfully written, with awesome photography, and packed with information, I imagine this will inspire some future vulcanologists.
November 27, 2016
I really had a blast reading this book. In response to a tragic eruption in Columbia in 1985 a group of scientists formed an international volcano crises committee. Using newly acquired technology they hoped to apply the lessons learned from the Mt. St Helen’s eruption to save lives around the world. In exciting and vivid prose Eruption chronicles their efforts as they travel to dramatic and dangerous locations and, in partnership with a diverse group of local scientists, fight to predict cataclysmic events including the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines and the 2010 eruption of Mt Merapi in Indonesia. In this latest book to the excellent Scientists in the Field series, clever design breaks up the text into easily digestible chunks and magma colored panels highlight the intriguing background information and facts.
This book is full of informative charts, graphs, and side panels explain the science behind volcanic eruptions, and large, colorful photographs illuminate the power and force of volcanoes around the world. The story is a must-read for budding earth scientists and volcanologists. The pictures used are actual photos that have been taken from the live occurrence of these eruptions.
This book is full of informative charts, graphs, and side panels explain the science behind volcanic eruptions, and large, colorful photographs illuminate the power and force of volcanoes around the world. The story is a must-read for budding earth scientists and volcanologists. The pictures used are actual photos that have been taken from the live occurrence of these eruptions.
October 8, 2013
This was my first "Scientists in the Field" title and I hope the others are as fascinating, exciting, and full of great information as this one.
I had no idea how much I didn't know about volcanoes until I read this. I also had no idea how much goes in to the study of volcanoes. The information was amazing and I feel humbled by what I didn't know.
But the information itself does not warrant a 4-star rating. This was presented in such an exciting way. I was tense with suspense during chapter 4 as I raced through the paragraphs to find out what was going to happen. I apparently wasn't paying too much attention to world news in late 2010 because the story of Mount Merapi was unfamiliar to me, and I'm glad that was the case because it made those chapters another exciting read.
Clearly, volcanology has come a long way but it's still an imperfect science and this book makes no pretense otherwise.
Easily recommended, if not highly recommended, for grades 4 and up.
I had no idea how much I didn't know about volcanoes until I read this. I also had no idea how much goes in to the study of volcanoes. The information was amazing and I feel humbled by what I didn't know.
But the information itself does not warrant a 4-star rating. This was presented in such an exciting way. I was tense with suspense during chapter 4 as I raced through the paragraphs to find out what was going to happen. I apparently wasn't paying too much attention to world news in late 2010 because the story of Mount Merapi was unfamiliar to me, and I'm glad that was the case because it made those chapters another exciting read.
Clearly, volcanology has come a long way but it's still an imperfect science and this book makes no pretense otherwise.
Easily recommended, if not highly recommended, for grades 4 and up.
November 29, 2019
Summary:
Volcanoes are a huge threat because of their seemingly unpredictable eruptions. Volcanologists Andy Lockhart and John Pallister want to find out if there is any way to predict when these massive tragedies will occur. They are willing to risk all they to try to save these remote villages.
Evaluation:
Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives is a wonderful work of nonfiction literature for students that are interested in natural disasters such as volcanoes. This scientists in the field book is wonderful for any student with an interest in science.
Teaching Idea:
This book would not necessarily be one that I use specifically in my teaching, but it would definitely be one that I add to my classroom library. This book would be one that I would recommend for my students with specific interests in earth science and natural disasters.
Volcanoes are a huge threat because of their seemingly unpredictable eruptions. Volcanologists Andy Lockhart and John Pallister want to find out if there is any way to predict when these massive tragedies will occur. They are willing to risk all they to try to save these remote villages.
Evaluation:
Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives is a wonderful work of nonfiction literature for students that are interested in natural disasters such as volcanoes. This scientists in the field book is wonderful for any student with an interest in science.
Teaching Idea:
This book would not necessarily be one that I use specifically in my teaching, but it would definitely be one that I add to my classroom library. This book would be one that I would recommend for my students with specific interests in earth science and natural disasters.
October 26, 2017
This book is about a team that is traveling and studying volcanoes from all over the world. This team works together to give an interesting point of view of the study of volcanoes. I would highly recommend this book, because it allows children to hear from people who are seeing and studying volcanoes, which they love. I would use this book through the teaching of volcanoes, we used it from within a fifth grade class when we were learning of natural disasters and I had the students use this book to research more of this topic.
April 21, 2019
This book was written by Elizabeth Rusch and photographed by Tom Uhlman and was published in 2013. This book would be appropriate for upper elementary aged students (3-5th grade). This book is written in chapters and they tell the story of two Volcanologists. Their names are John Pallister and Andy Lockhart as they try and answers questions about warning signs for eruptions, if eruptions are preventable, and if there is a way to know when and how bad an eruption will be. This book shows beautiful images from all over the world as they travel and research different volcanos.
October 17, 2016
Loved the images! The book opens with the story of a deadly volcanic eruption that killed more than 20,000 people. It then continues with how the VDAP has made it its goal to prevent such tragic loss of life with the motoring of volcanoes around the world. While the main text reads easily there are sidebars and inset boxes with details related to the different scientific aspects of monitoring volcanoes. Great nonfiction title for middle grade!
April 28, 2020
I am a fifth and sixth grade teacher, with natural disasters in my curriculum. This is one of the books I chose for students to read. It blends science and culture very well, with just enough sidebars for additional information. The science is technical, but does not jump complexity levels too quickly, as some science reads do.
I would recommend this to students who are interested in geology, and to teachers who are looking for a book to augment their studies.
I would recommend this to students who are interested in geology, and to teachers who are looking for a book to augment their studies.
July 24, 2017
Volcanoes can be beautiful and treacherous. Like other books in the "Scientists in the Field" series, this book travels the globe and highlights the stories and geology of many volcanoes. For a particularly moving story, whether or not to evacuate an Air Force base in the Philippines.
September 28, 2018
This was a great informational text about volcanoes. I think that it would work great for grades 3 and 4. One unique feature would be the amazing photographs within the page. For some reason, kids are really drawn to photographs! It has a way of really grabbing their attention.
September 29, 2024
I don't normally review "children's books" here on this account (I have another family account, BlackhamBooks for that) but this was one I got out of the library for ME. It's really middle-grade. There was a lot of text (even though it looks like a picture book). Very informative; lots of information and pictures. Last month I'd picked up a stack of "I Survived" books and decided to give one of them a read, just to have a better idea of what they are. I went with the Mt. St. Helens eruption one, and one of the references, recommendations for further reading, was this one.
I felt like I learned quite a bit.
I felt like I learned quite a bit.
June 7, 2023
This non-fiction children's book gives us a window into the decision-making that goes into evacuating people ahead of an erupting volcano. The book also summarizes the key dangers around volcanic eruptions, and past failures to warn people in time. At least one of the descriptions of those who died in pyroclastic-mudflows are probably worth skipping for younger audiences due to their disturbing (albeit accurate) nature. Otherwise this book a great and helps to give you an appreciation for the weighty decisions researchers and leaders have to make to keep people safe.
March 26, 2022
Beautiful full color photographs enhance this informative book on the history of volcanoes, how they’re formed and how they affect our lives. And what scientists are learning about forecasting their eruptions to prevent tragedies.
The account of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines is especially interesting.
The account of the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines is especially interesting.
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