PREFACE The Encyclopedia of Volcanoes is a complete reference guide, providing a comprehensive view of volcanism on the Earth and on the other planets of the Solar System that have exhibited volcanic activity. It is the first attempt to gather in one place such a vast store of knowledge on volcanic phenomena. The volume addresses all aspects of volcanism, ranging from the generation of magma, its transport and migration, eruption, and formation of volcanic deposits. It also addresses volcanic hazards, their mitigation, the monitoring of volcanic activity, economic aspects and, for the first time, analyzes several specific cultural aspects of volcanic activity, including the impact of volcanic activity on archaeology, literature, art and film. To compose a single volume that is a complete reference for such a far-ranging phenomenon is indeed a daunting task. Arrangement of Content When the editors began to develop the fundamental structure of this Encyclopedia, we were faced with two choices: either constructing a dictionary-like volume composed of defined terms, arranged in alphabetical order, or following a thematic approach, where the multitude of volcanic processes are defined, described and elaborated on in a series of chapters. We adopt the latter approach in this volume. In order to provide our readers with the best possible treatment of volcanic processes, we have adopted the time-honored custom of Denis Diderot and Jean D'Alembert, of recruiting the leading experts in each branch of volcanology and related fields to author the chapters that lie outside the expertise of the editors. When Diderot and D'Alembert began to compile information for their monumental twenty-one volume Encyclopédie (1751-1765), they went to the carpenters, the masons, the embroiderers and the other experts for help with the specific terms and concepts, in order to get all the technical details right. Thus they secured an article for the Encyclopédie, penned by the pioneer field volcanologist Nicholas Desmarest (1725-1815), on the volcanic origin of columnar basalt. Similarly, the editors of the Encyclopedia of Volcanoes have recruited the recognized authorities in each field or speciality of volcanology to contribute chapters to this volume. Thus this volume is the product of over one hundred volcanologists, petrologists and other scientists who have specialized knowledge about volcanoes and related processes. Sectional Plan In this volume, the principal aspects of volcanic activity are dealt with in eighty-two chapters, divided between nine major sections. An introduction to each section written by the editors is provided, in order to give a general perspective of the topics and processes contained in the section. Each chapter covers one fundamental volcanic process in depth, and stands alone as a comprehensive overview of the phenomenon in question. Nevertheless, the sequence of major sections and their chapters is intended to be directional and evolutionary, as far as possible, following magma from its place of deep origin, to the surface of the Earth. Thus in the first section, the volume commences with twelve chapters on the principal source regions of magmas, the mantle of the Earth, melting processes, magma generation, and transport and geochemical evolution of magmas, as they rise into the Earth's crust. The second section addresses the fundamental aspects of distribution of volcanism in space and time, and the range in the scale of volcanic eruptions, in terms of magnitude and intensity. In the three subsequent sections, a series of chapters address the various styles of eruption of magmas, namely effusive (lavas) versus explosive, and the multitude of types of volcanic deposits that result. Section V provides comprehensive overviews of volcanic activity on other planets of the solar system, namely on the Moon, Io, Mars, Venus and the unusual cryovolcanism on the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. Extraterrestrial volcanology is probably the area of volcanologic research that will experience greatest growth in the future, as space exploration continues to provide new discoveries in other worlds. In Section VI the interactions of volcanism with hydrosphere and atmosphere are discussed, as well as formation of those mineral deposits which owe their origin to volcanic processes. The impact of volcanoes on society is treated in Section VII, where the various types of volcanic hazards are discussed. Volcano monitoring is treated in Section VIII, along with the mitigating measures that have been developed to counteract volcanic disasters. In the final section of the Encyclopedia, a variety of economic benefits accruing from volcanism are described, and the volume closes with four chapters on cultural aspects of volcanism, ranging from its impact in archaeology, art, literature and film. Conventions of Style In this volume, we have adopted the convention of using lower case in the spelling of those adjectives that describe volcanic processes, such as surtseyan and plinian. As this volume is intended for the general reader, such distracting paraphernalia as references or footnotes have been dispensed with as much as possible. Instead, a section of Further Readings, containing a list of half a dozen or more major texts on the subject matter, is provided at the end of each chapter for those interested in the chief sources. Appendices Two Appendices are included in the volume. Appendix I consists of a series of tables that give common scientific and mathematical units and conversion factors. It also provides a variety of numerical data on the Earth. Appendix II is a table of active volcanoes on Earth, as compiled by Tom Simkin and Lee Siebert of the Smithsonian Institution. A listing containing all the volcanoes on Earth, with data on their eruptions, is beyond the feasibility of this work, as this list alone would equal this volume in length. The editors have therefore opted to list only historically active volcanoes, i.e. the volcanoes whose eruptions have been witnessed and documented, totalling 550 in number. The oldest eruption in this list is therefore the plinian eruption of Vesuvius in Italy on 24 August in 79 A.D. This selection of the historical period is admittedly somewhat arbitrary, as the "historical period" varies greatly in length from place to place on Earth. In Europe and Japan the historical record of volcanism extends back over one thousand years, whereas in New Zealand and North and South America, for example, it is merely a matter of a few centuries, since written records in these regions begin generally with European settlement. In Appendix II the historically active volcanoes are listed in an alphabetical order, and their location is given in terms of longitude and latitude. The tabulation also includes all of their historic eruptions. Acknowledgments The number of people who have assisted the authors and editors in the creation of this volume is literally in the hundreds. A list of those we would like to thank especially is given in the Acknowledgments section at the end of the volume. We would like to single out here, however, the following staff members at Academic Press for their outstanding work: the project's sponsoring editor, Frank Cynar, who bears the responsibility for recruiting the editors of this volume; the project manager, Cathleen Ryan; and the production editor, Jacqueline Garrett. THE EDITORS [Return to Contents]