1 comments about Light Scattering by Nonspherical Particles.

1. This is THE first systematic volume on light scattering by nonspherical particles and their practical applications. The historical foreword by van de Hulst, a legend in this area, was appreciated.

   Its is up-to-date and very practical -- especially like the applications to geophysics, remote sensing, and planetary and space physics.

1 comments about Furnace of Creation, Cradle of Destruction: A Journey to the Birthplace of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis.

1. The author clearly explains the history of earth science as it relates to the realization of plate tectonics. This is fascinating and eye-opening for a layperson like me! I found myself up late several nights reading this book.
   
   The author also makes the material relevant by using the natural disasters across time to illustrate many points. There are over a dozen "Panels" that explain some of the most incredible natural disasters such as the New Madrid earthquake of 1811-12, the Pakistan earthquake of 2005, and of course the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia. There are also many charts and diagrams explaining plate tectonics, ocean floor spreading, fault lines, "hot zones", etc. Add to that the many charts (such as the most devastating earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis of recorded history) - these all make the book an easy read.
   
   If you were horrified yet fascinated with the 2004 Tsunami and the science surrounding our understanding of the events, then this book will definitely keep your attention.
   
   The only minor criticism I have is that the author mentions the "shackles of religion" holding back modern science and seems to think that modern science has made religion and/or faith redundant. I would strongly disagree with this. But, that is a VERY minor criticism.
   
   Highly recommended.

5 comments about Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change.

1. Neither too little or too much, Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change is the best volume I have ever read on Volcanology. Written for the intelligent layperson, the book never talks down to its reader or loses them in mult-semicolon sentances of unintelligble jargon as so many other books by scientists do. If you want the latest theories on volcanoes, this is th book for you. I was especially surprised by how many dormant/active volcanoes there are in the lower 48. And as one who has flown from the U.S. to Japan, the chapter on planes and volcanoes was both fascinating and scary.



2. I found that this book has some positives and negatives: Positives: 1. the authors have compiled a wealth of information about volcanoes all over the world: Mt. St. Helens catastrophe, planes flying over eruption clouds, eruption accounts from Krakatua, etc, etc. 2. For a geologist like me, when we study about volcanoes, we tend to forget the human factor, not only hazards, but also how it affects agriculture, tourism, etc. Which I think this book pinpoints very well. Negatives: 1. The book doesn't flow: lots of information, but in my opinion disorganized. Except for the chapter about Mt. St. Helens, I didn't understand the point that the authors were trying to make (or probably there was no point, and it was just a plain description). 2. Any time you touch a scientific subject, you are immersed in having to use scientific terms. Since this book is trying to reach a general audience (I think), it will benefit a lot by having a glossary. 3. Some chapters are really weak, like the one that talks about plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is the driving force of volcanoes (mostly) and should have more emphasis on the book, and be explained in more simple terms. 4. The decimal metric system is used throughout the book. This is good when you are writing a paper to publish on a specialized journal, but not for a book aimed at general audiences. The equivalence in the English system should probably go in parentheses.



3. I found that this book has some positives and negatives: Positives: 1. the authors have compiled a wealth of information about volcanoes all over the world: Mt. St. Helens catastrophe, planes flying over eruption clouds, eruption accounts from Krakatua, etc, etc. 2. For a geologist like me, when we study about volcanoes, we tend to forget the human factor, not only hazards, but also how it affects agriculture, tourism, etc. Which I think this book pinpoints very well. Negatives: 1. The book doesn't flow: lots of information, but in my opinion disorganized. Except for the chapter about Mt. St. Helens, I didn't understand the point that the authors were trying to make (or probably there was no point, and it was just a plain description). 2. Any time you touch a scientific subject, you are immersed in having to use scientific terms. Since this book is trying to reach a general audience (I think), it will benefit a lot by having a glossary. 3. Some chapters are really weak, like the one that talks about plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is the driving force of volcanoes (mostly) and should have more emphasis on the book, and be explained in more simple terms. 4. The decimal metric system is used throughout the book. This is good when you are writing a paper to publish on a specialized journal, but not for a book aimed at general audiences. The equivalence in the English system should probably go in parentheses.



4. I recommend this book most highly. It is well-organized, easily read by anyone with a high school education and a limited scientific background, and all-encompassing on the subject of volcanoes. The latest developments in volcanic petrology, pyroclastic flow study, caldera formation, supervolcanic eruptions and their horrific consequences, and the like are superbly covered. Additionally, the book contains excellent narratives of nearly all significant late 20th Century eruptions, such as Pinatubo, El Chichon, St. Helens, and Paricutin. The research is copious, and the results highly accurate.

   The book has been well-proofed, with the pleasurable consequence that distortive prose, inaccurate figures, and like blips are virtually non-existent. A fellow reviewer has stated that plate tectonics is not well-covered, but this writer's view is that the scope of the book lies beyond such basics. Anyone unfamiliar with basic volcanological concepts should first read "Teach Yourself Volcanoes", and then move into this book.

   Again, I enjoyed this book to the hilt, and would prize it above most other books on the subject. I strongly believe it is the best non-technical book on the subject.




5. _Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change_ by Richard V. Fisher, Grant Heiken, and Jeffrey B. Hulen is a fascinating and very well-written look at volcanoes, including their formation, structure, dangers, benefits, and how they have affected human history. The book is richly illustrated with photographs, maps, and fascinating diagrams explaining volcanic processes.
   
   Part one consisted of four chapters that looked at the geology of volcanoes. Important to understanding volcanoes is knowing where they form; they can appear over subduction zones (where one tectonic plate is pushed under another; the subduction of the Pacific plate under the American plate produces the volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains), extensional boundaries (where plates move apart, mainly between plates on the seafloor), and over hot spots (thermal plumes rising through the mantle than can be well away from either subduction zones or extensional boundaries).
   
   Also important to understanding volcanoes is knowledge of the composition of the magma that forms them. Magma containing less than 55% silica is called basaltic and is very fluid and has low-viscosity. It can easily form large lava flows and gas can rapidly escape from it, forming huge fountains (the authors compared it to the ease with which steam escapes from rapidly boiling water). Rhyolite lava on the other hand is comprised of over 70% silica, is very viscous, and gas does not readily escape from it unless the pressure is big enough (think of how hot oatmeal spatters explosively). Basalt lava generally forms beneath or within oceanic plates, rhyolite lava beneath or within a continental plate, and a third type, andesite lava (between 55% and 70% silica), where the two types of plate overlap.
   
   Volcanoes may take a variety of forms. Composite volcanoes or stratovolcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens and Mount Fuji, are graceful, solitary, often quite high and covered in snow or ice and are comprised of innumerable layers of rubble and debris from previous eruptions. Lava domes are protrusions of lava on the outside slope of many composite volcanoes or within their craters, built by the slow extrusion of viscous silica-rich magma. Calderas (from Spanish for "cauldron") are very large craters formed when the ground surface collapsed as the result of the extrusion of very large amounts of ash, pumice, and rock and can be quite large. Cinder cones or scoria cones are relatively small volcanoes, high mounds with small craters at the top, comprised of basaltic fragments called cinders or scoria, rocks that contain an abundance of bubble-like chambers. They often occur in clusters and on the slopes of other types of volcanoes. Maars are small volcanoes with wide craters that formed from the sudden explosion that occurred when rising magma came into contact with groundwater or surface water. Shield volcanoes are broad and have low slopes and are constructed of solidified basaltic lava that was originally in a highly fluid state. Littoral cones are formed when lava flows into water, explodes, and forms a pile of debris into a volcano-like shape; not actually volcanoes, they have no underground source.
   
   Eruption types can vary as well. Gas eruptions can be quite silent but lethal, such as the Lake Nyos eruption of deadly carbon dioxide on August 21, 1986 in Cameroon, which killed 1,700 people. Hawaiian eruptions include gusher-like lava flows and lava rivers and produce congealed globs of lava that fly through the air (called lapilli if 2 to 64 millimeters, bombs if larger). Strombolian eruptions produce high-arching, incandescent "rooster-tails" and ejecta that can form cinder cones. Plinian eruptions produce ash columns as high as 50 kilometers into the sky, which thanks to high winds can spread ash hundreds or thousands of square kilometers (the name derives from Pliny the Elder, the Roman nobleman who died in the A.D. 79 eruption of Vesuvius).
   
   Volcanoes as noted form underwater and in fact most may be located deep in the sea; one estimate put the number at one million volcanoes with 75,000 rising to over 1 kilometer from the seafloor. Explosive eruptions rarely occur, as 1 kilometer or more below the surface of the sea water pressure is generally greater than any explosive pressure. Some volcanic systems produce black smokers, hydrothermal systems that release black, turbulent clouds of suspended metal-sulfide materials, often creating oases of life in the deep sea.
   
   Part two looked at the many hazards of volcanoes. Pyroclastic flows (or volcanic hurricanes) are searing, kiln-hot winds that move faster than ordinary hurricanes and can kill people and animals due to high heat, ash particles that can clog throats and lungs, and by hurtling tons of cobble and boulder sized particles. A pyroclastic surge is a diffuse, gas-rich pyroclastic flow that can move farther and over ridges and water. Debris avalanches can also be a danger, especially if they enter water and produce tsunamis. Volcanic flows or lahars (from an Indonesian word) are masses of mud, sand, gravel, and boulders mixed with water and having the consistency of freshly made cement. Lahars often dam rives and can produce derivative floods for years to come. Also posing a danger are lava flows and ash clouds (the latter can bring down jet aircraft).
   
   Part three looked at the many benefits of volcanoes. In addition to producing every atmospheric gas aside from oxygen, volcanoes have given us therapeutic hot springs, clean and safe geothermal energy, igneous rock that can be cut into blocks and used as building stones, fine-grained ash that can be used as a polishing compound (like in toothpaste), concrete (the Romans mined ash they called pozzuolana and made concrete from it to produce their roads, viaducts, and monumental buildings), pumice (long used as an exfoliant scrub and as an abrasive cleaner), obsidian (once highly valued for arrowheads and knives), bentonite (a clay made from volcanic ash, used in everything from the drilling industry to ceramics to adhesives to kitty litter), gemstones (diamonds were brought from deep within the Earth's surface by volcanoes), rich agricultural soil, and the preservation of fascinating fossils and artifacts (such as at Pompeii).

No comments about Hydrocarbon Exploration & Production, Volume 55, Second Edition (Developments in Petroleum Science) (Developments in Petroleum Science).

No comments about Fundamentals of Hydrology (Routledge Fundamentals of Physicalgeography).

3 comments about Applied Seismology: A Comprehensive Guide To Seismic Theory And Application.

1. Applied Seismology
   By
   Mamdouh R. Gadallah and Ray L. Fisher
   Comments
   Not too long ago, the science of exploration geophysics could be described in a single volume. Today, it is a vast and highly sophisticated field of modern technology. Its development has been possible by sustained efforts of scientists of different backgrounds -- physicists, geologists, electrical engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists. A large number of books have been published in recent years in their respective areas of specialization. Unfortunately, these books tend to be more advanced and not ideally suited to the needs of a beginner. Applied Seismology by Mamdouh and Fisher will fill a much-needed gap.
   This book opens with a short introduction to the basics of petroleum geology. In view of the fact that a large number of geophysicists have no basic education in geology, this chapter will serve an important purpose. The next chapter provides elementary geophysical and mathematical background. The rest of the book is devoted to the main tasks of geophysical exploration, viz., acquisition, processing and interpretation of seismic data. The authors do not hesitate to include topics such as permitting which cannot be classified as geophysics but are essential from the practical standpoint. The heart of this book seems to lie in the chapter on seismic data processing, which is very well treated. The final chapter is devoted to a detailed discussion on various aspects of data interpretation including some relatively recent developments related to high-resolution data acquisition, VSP, AVO and 4-D seismic technology.
   Throughout their treatment, the authors emphasize the practical aspects of geophysics and provide plenty of examples involving real seismic data. At the end of various chapters, they also provide workshops useful for students. This interesting feature makes this book a valuable tool both for the beginner and the practicing geophysicist.
   
   Irshad Mufti
   Houston, Texas



2. This book is for beginners and experts alike. The book offers a refreshing insight in Geophysics as reference for Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists. It may used as a quick reference or a detailed investigation into seismological topics.
   
   I highly recommend it for the college student attending Geoscience classes (as well as every practicing geophysicist). Workshops are a valuable features - complete with answers. As a dictionary resource, the user will receive a precise definition of geophysical terminology.
   
   Topics covered in the book are relevant to all sectors of Seismology - Acquisition, Processing and Interpretation (using modern seismic techniques).
   
   Mike Walsh



3. Applied Seismology
   (A comprehensive guide to seismic theory and application)
   By Mamdouh R. Gadallah and Ray L. Fisher
   Publisher: PennWell books
   
   
   The recent demand in the petroleum sector for new hires in all aspects of the business and the lack of practical training has created a major gap in the industry. Most of the books published by the professional societies and their training programs are highly specialized. The book by Gadallah and Fisher fills this void; it is timely and is a one stop shop for new interns, graduates and returnees to the business. The book covers aspects of petroleum exploration, development and reservoir monitoring. The book is orderly, well written, clear illustrations and contains plenty of practical examples. It is concluded with an extensive appendices and a bibliography.
   
   The integrated approach by the authors to the subject makes the book distinctive. I highly recommend it to practicing geoscientist, reservoir seismologists, processors and field operators.
   
   This book belongs on the desk of everyone working in
   petroleum exploration. It is an outstanding reference.
   
   Osman M. Hassan, Ph.D.
   Imaging Geoscientist
   Veritas DGC Inc.
   Houston, TX.

No comments about Geothermal Energy: An Alternative Resource for the 21st Century.

5 comments about Encyclopedia of Volcanoes.

1. As a master's student studying volcanology and remote sensing, and a research assistant at the Alaska Volcano Observatory, I can honestly say this is it! From the depths of the mantle on Earth to the dynamic volcanism on Juptier's moon Io, the large team of authors and editors cover every aspect of volcanology possible in this 1,000 + page book. The book is extremely organized, complete with a detailed index, large glossary, and most importantly, references to journal publications. The book also uses high quality images and photos (black and white and in color), as well as scientific graphs, tables, and plots of data when necessary. Despite being written by such a wide array of scientists from all over the world, this encyclopedia is written with both volcanologists and the lay person in mind. This impressive compilation is well worth the price.



2. Great compendium of volcanology. Especially thrilling to an older geologist to see the advances in knowledge since we got out of school; for instance, seismic tomography has mapped actual magma chambers, which were semi-mythic suppositions in my undergrad day; and lo, there is the anatomy of the very volcanoes I grew up under. The book comprises dozens of specially submitted articles by diverse international authors, so you get many perspectives, not just of different disciplines, but of authors' sense of how they relate to others.

   Flawed by abundant typos. The editing of this book is a great advance over say The Solar System by the same Academic Press, which was a mangled turnip; but they still have a ways to go. It is disappointing to see major scientific works bungled by bottom line that slashes proofing. NASA is probably largely responsible for the Solar System mess (Sally Ride, take a course in remedial english!). Geologists are a lot more meticulous than astronauts. But the buck shd stop with the publisher.

   So buy this book and complain to Academic Press. Buy it before it goes out of print and you have to kick yourself; it will be long before the like comes again.




3. An excellent book. Written by some of the worlds most renowed experts-one of whom I am fortunate enough to know!
   The book is well worth the money as every aspect of volcanology is covered.
   I would recommend this book to anyone with a serious intest in volcanology.



4. I found this text to be incredibly useful, especially considering the noticable dearth of textbooks dealing with volcanoes. The encyclopedia is comprehensible, yet in depth, and covers a broad range of topics. Whenever I have a volcano question I start here first!



5. I'm an amateur volcano enthusiast, as well as a professional physicist. I can only say that I wish that a book such as this existed for my own field. It is stunningly comprehensive. Whether you are interested in the details of volcanic plumbing, caldera forming eruptions, or even if you want to read reviews of volcano movies like 'Dante's Peak' from the standpoint of a volcanologist - this book has it all! The only downside is that the book is positively enormous: over 1400 large format pages - it is a chore to lug around on business trips, let alone on field trips... Though I suppose that, at a pinch, you could use it as a shield against falling volcanic debris. Seriously though - if you are interested in volcanoes you owe it to yourself to get a copy of this book. Five stars is not enough.

1 comments about Weather Analysis and Forecasting: Applying Satellite Water Vapor Imagery and Potential Vorticity Analysis.

1. This volumes is well written and a good hands on manual for use operationally and as a reference as well.

No comments about An Introduction to Underwater Acoustics.