Volcanoes

An earthquake strikes unexpectedly and crushes an entire rural village under brick rubble. A volcano blows off the top of a mountain and sends a torrent of hot lava through an adjacent town, killing thousands. A tornado emerges from a thundercloud and rips through a Midwest town, tossing trees and automobiles around and blowing houses to smithereens. Cataclysmic stories such as these are featured all too frequently on the evening news. Nature's awesome force strikes, often without warning, and leaves death and destruction in its wake. Greenhaven Press's Great Disasters series offers a fascinating look at these momentous events and the natural phenomena that cause them. Each anthology focuses on a different type of disaster or a particular disastrous event in history. Witnesses and journalists describe firsthand the mayhem and devastation they have seen on the rim of a volcano, in the funnel of a tornado, and on the streets of a plague-infested city. Scientists explore the natural processes behind such disasters and the research being done to predict and prevent their occurrence, warn the public of impending danger, and rescue those who have been injured or imperiled. A vivid introduction and informative appendixes provide useful context. An annotated table of contents and a thorough index aid easy reference. A bibliography offers avenues for further research. Readers of Greenhaven's Great Disasters series will be awed by the deadly power of nature. Book jacket.Harris, Nancy is the author of 'Volcanoes', published 2003 under ISBN 9780737714395 and ISBN 0737714395.