Description:
Located on what geologists call the "creaking and leaking edges" of crustal plates, the earth's volcanoes have created awe-inspiring if sometimes frightening landscapes. Many such landscapes within the United States have come under federal protection, and nearly 40 national parks and monuments have volcanoes as their central theme or significant attraction. In this informative and delightful guide to those parks, volcanologist Robert Decker and science journalist Barbara Decker offer notes on the geological history of such well-known venues as Mount Rainier, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Yosemite, whose volcanic features include deep lakes, geysers, and ancient magma chambers. They move farther afield in introducing their readers to places like Alaska's Katmai National Park, which houses three sometimes active volcanoes and 12 dormant ones; Hawaii's Haleakala National Park, which encompasses the youngest volcano on Maui and one of the largest of those on what's called the Hawaiian Hot Spot; California's Devils Postpile National Monument, whose tall columns of basalt are among the rarest geological features on the continent; and Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument, where cooled pyroclastic flows have weathered into a sea of rock pillars called "hoodoos." The Deckers provide visitor information as well as geological notes, making this a fine addition to a rockhound's collection and a useful book to consult when you're planning a vacation. --Gregory McNamee
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