Volcanoes and People
Volcanoes both harass and help mankind. As dramatically demonstrated by the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 1980 and of Pinatubo in June 1991, volcanoes can wreak havoc and devastation in the short term. The types of volcanic and associated hazards are not described in this booklet but treated in several of the publications listed in [Suggested Reading]. However, it should be emphasized that the short-term hazards posed by volcanoes are balanced by benefits of volcanism and related processes over geologic time. Volcanic materials ultimately break down to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which fostered and sustained civilizations. People use volcanic products as construction materials, as abrasive and cleaning agents, and as raw materials for many chemical and industrial uses. The internal heat associated with some young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy. For example, the electrical energy generated from The Geysers geothermal field in northern California can meet the present power consumption of the city of San Francisco.
The challenge to scientists involved with volcano research is to mitigate the short-term adverse impacts of eruptions, so that society may continue to enjoy the long-term benefits of volcanism. They must continue to improve the capability for predicting eruptions and to provide decision makers and the general public with the best possible information on high-risk volcanoes for sound decisions on land-use planning and public safety. Geo-scientists still do not fully understand how volcanoes really work, but considerable advances have been made in recent decades. An improved understanding of volcanic phenomena provides important clues to the Earth’s past, present, and possibly its future.
Suggested Reading
Decker, Robert, and Decker, Barbara, 1989, Volcanoes: W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, 285 p. (Revised edition).
Editors, 1982, Volcano: in the series Planet Earth, Alexandria, Virginia, Time-Life Books, 176 p.
Harris, S.L., 1988, Fire mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes: Missoula, Montana, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 379 p.
Heliker, Christina, 1990, Volcanic and seismic hazards on the Island of Hawaii: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, 48 p.
Macdonald, G.A., 1972, Volcanoes: Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 510 p.
Simkin, Tom, Tilling, R.I., Taggart, J.N., Jones, W.J., and Spall, Henry, compilers, 1989, This dynamic planet: World Map of volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, prepared in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (scale 1:30,000,000 at equator).
Tilling, R.I., Heliker, Christina, and Wright, T.L., 1989, Eruptions of Hawaiian volcanoes: Past, present, and future: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, 54 p.
Tilling, R.I., Topinka, Lyn, and Swanson, D.A., 1990, Eruptions of Mount St. Helens: Past, present, and future: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, 56 p. (Revised edition).
Tilling, R.I., 1991, Monitoring active volcanoes: Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey, 13 p. (Revised edition).
Wood, C.A., and Kienle, Jurgen, 1990, Volcanoes of North America: United States and Canada: New York, Cambridge University Press, 354 p.
The port city of St. Pierre on the island of Martinique; Mont Pelée is in the background. In 1902, this city was entirely destroyed by pyroclastic flows; about 30,000 people died.
As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural and cultural resources. This includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish, wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in island territories under U S administration
U.S. Geological Survey