|
SeattlePi
In Hawaii, the road to 'hell' is not paved, it's
covered with hardened
lava
By hiring an expert guide, you can visit the flowing lava of
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano far closer than you ever imagined.
*
Read the full article at:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/298972_hawvolcano11.html
San
Francisco Chronicle
Where to go with the lava flow, find refuges for wildlife
Christine Delsol
San Francisco, CA
Sunday, June 5, 2005
San
Francisco Chronicle Article
For some, adventure is a walk in the woods; for others it's staring
down
the maw of a simmering volcano. Recent titles help readers choose this
summer's outdoor expeditions and make them happen.
"The Volcano Adventure Guide," by Rosaly Lopes (Cambridge
University Press, $50, 362 pages). Adventure companies haven't caught
up to the widespread fascination with mountains that belch ash and lava.
Volcano-chasers have been limited to armchair books, says Lopes, a NASA
volcanologist. And just as Mexico's Volcán Fuego ("Fire")
in Colima is capturing worldwide attention with its fiercest eruption
in 15 years, Lopes' hefty, inspiring volume, part coffee-table book
and part field guide, brings enthusiastic description together with
precise scientific detail for nonscientists who want see volcanoes for
themselves.
The eye-popping, large-format photos and hair-raising stories about
20 of the world's 600 active volcanoes cover a variety of volcano types
and locations, from Hawaii's mildly explosive Kilauea to Italy's potentially
violent Vesuvius. All are accessible with varying degrees of effort;
she steers clear of politically volatile countries. She briefly describes
22 others, including some to keep an eye on, such as the Soufriere Hills
volcano on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, which she predicts will
be one of the world's prime destinations when its 10-year-old eruption
dies down.
Introductory chapters offer an overview of the world's volcanoes and
some basic geology. Addressing the obvious question of safety, Lopes
emphasizes learning as much as possible about a specific volcano before
visiting but also provides five rules for surviving an eruption. Practical
advice includes road, topographical, geological and satellite maps,
schematic cross-sections, references, trail elevations, charts and timelines.
"Nature's Strongholds: The World's Great Wildlife Reserves,"
by Laura and William Riley (Princeton University Press, $49.50, 640
pages).
Another heavyweight with glowing photographs, this exhaustive guide
is a veritable encyclopedia. The authors, Pulitzer nominees for their
book on American wildlife refuges, visited every continent over the
course of 10 years. Tigers, elephants, penguins, polar bears and other
favorites appear, but so do such obscure creatures as Russia's saiga
(a gazelle with a head like a goat) and Australia's dugongs ("13-foot
undersea blimps" in the Great Barrier Reef). U.S. grizzlies, bighorn
sheep, bald eagles and mountain lions also get their due. Covering 600
of the world's best reserves, the book summarizes the history and ecology
of each and includes the best time to visit, types of animals, nearby
lodging and transportation and temperature and rainfall charts. The
text is academic but readable; the brilliant photography will have you
packing your bags.
"Best Short Hikes in Redwood National and State Parks," by
Jerry and Gisela Rohde (The Mountaineers Books, $15.95, 240 pages).
The North Coast's redwoods, diminished as they are, still cover a vast
area. This guide presents them in digestible servings, from such famous
stands as Founder's Grove and Fern Canyon to little-used trails that
deliver a full dose of magic. The authors reveal exactly where to find
calypso orchids in spring, herds of Roosevelt elk and vestiges of early
logging operations. They show how to get to the world's oldest-growth
redwoods, Julia Morgan's wood-and-stone Four Fireplaces outdoors hearth
and other unique sights. Accompanied by clear elevation profiles and
maps, the hikes take a half-hour to a half day but include options for
longer hikes where appropriate. Most are within a few minutes of Highway
101. "Peninsula Trails," by Jean Rusmore (Wilderness Press,
$17.95, 350 pages).
The land between the bay and the ocean, from the San Francisco city
line to Saratoga Gap, was once divided among a few vast ranchos. With
the history and complex geology -- straddling the Pacific and North
American tectonic plates -- hiking here transcends fresh air and exercise.
From the top of Los Trancos Open Space Preserve, you can trace the San
Andreas Fault's progress to the sea. Rocks exposed on Montara Mountain
began life 90 million years ago in what is now Southern California.
Remnants of 19th century ranches, logging camps and wineries appear
on some trails. While wild San Bruno Mountain is surrounded by dense
suburbs and Junipero Serra County Park is tucked into a curve of Interstate
280, other spaces are pure wilderness. The book also covers San Mateo
County's redwood parks, the San Francisco Bay Trail and the Coastal
Trail.
One of the guide's best features is its index of trails according to
interest, from spring flowers to summer shade to fall color, trail length,
views, history, terrain and suitability for children or wheel-chair
users. "Point Reyes Visions Guidebook," by Kathleen Goodwin
and Richard Blair (Color & Light Editions, $12.95, 80 pages). With
small pages devoid of charts, maps or indexes, this guide looks like
a miniature coffee-table book (the stunning black-and-white photography
loses none of its impact in the small format). The text meanders from
specific beaches and trails to "Mornings," "Moonlit Madness"
or "Places to Watch the Sunset," and directions are included
only sporadically. Yet everything that matters is here: water warm enough
for swimming in November, places to find solitude, where the San Andreas
Fault swallowed a cow in 1906, heart-stopping views, the site of Teddy
Roosevelt's hunting lodge, sure-fire wildlife sightings. Written with
obvious love and intimate knowledge by the authors of the best-selling
"Point Reyes Visions" photography book, it's short enough
to read on your lunch hour. And for the more literal-minded, it does
have a map -- the nifty waterproof and tear-resistant kind, printed
by Point Reyes National Seashore and folded neatly into the back cover.
Also on bookshelves:
"Trekking California," by Paul Richins (The Mountaineers Books,
$18.95, 288 pages). A collection of 30- to 90-mile itineraries, from
the Trinity Alps to Mount Whitney. No-nonsense writing, solid information,
planning tips, pep talks; large, colorful and detailed maps, elevation
profiles and trail charts.
"Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur," by Analise Elliot (Wilderness
press, $19.95, 323 pages). Seventy-five detailed hikes including trail
details, maps and photos, with sidebars on history, plants, animals
and geology. Restaurant and lodging tips, event listings. Companion
waterproof topo map available for $9.95.
"Wild Weekends in Utah," by Lori Lee (The Countryman Press,
$17.95, 262 pages). A guide to backpacking, canyoneering, mountain biking,
kayaking and rafting among otherworldly rock towers, canyons and forests.
Deft, descriptive writing could persuade novices to try even the more
grueling expeditions.
Article in Astronomy Magazine
Evidence from NASA's Cassini spacecraft suggests
Neptune's Triton may not be the only satellite with cryovolcanism. Saturn's
moon Titan may be cryovolcanic as well. Long before Cassini settled
into orbit around Saturn June 30, 2004, planetary geologists suspected
super-chilled cryovolcanoes lurk beneath Titan's surface.
The Cassini orbiter's radar and infrared mapping of planet-size Titan
reveal features that remind scientists of volcanic structures on other
worlds. The most remarkable to date is a 120-mile-wide (180 kilometers)
circular feature called Ganesa Macula. Although no topographic data
has yet been obtained, the mountain resembles volcanoes on Venus or
Earth — specifically pancake domes or shield volcanoes, like those
common in Hawaii. Titan's Ganesa is about the same scale as large shield
volcanoes on Earth. For reference, the world's largest shield volcano,
Mauna Loa, rises 14,000 feet (4,300 meters) above sea level.
Ganesa's dome appears to have a relatively flat top, steep flanks, and
a central depression about 13 miles (20 km) across. Researchers interpret
this depression as a volcanic caldera (basin-shape depression), Rosaly
Lopes of NASA's Jet Propuslion Laboratory (JPL) says. Sinuous channels
wind their way down the mountainside from the central crater, "possibly
cryolava channels running down the flanks."
Additionally, "Flow features that appear to have erupted from the
dome are also preferentially located on the south and eastern sides,"
says Lopes. This implies the presence of a gradient. If Ganesa is, indeed,
the smoking gun for Titan volcanism, its flanks may be laced with "lava"
flows of water, which may slump down the mountainside like terrestrial
glaciers.
Cassini is orbiting Saturn and its bevy of moons during a 4-year primary
mission. NASA / JPL [larger image]
According to Karl Mitchell of JPL, the structure of the flows from the
south and east sides of Ganesa does not indicate dense magma-like glop.
"They are, instead, thin, sheet-like, and broad." Mitchell
suggests the flows result from cryomagmas reminiscent in texture to
a snow cone.
This latest evidence builds on circumstantial evidence that initially
led planetary geologists to believe cryovolcanism occurs on Titan.
First, Titan's size (3,200 miles [5,150 kilometers] wide, about 40 percent
the size of Earth) and mass suggest it harbors a great deal of internal
heat. Some of the heat is left over from the moon's formation, and radioactive
elements generate the rest.
Second, Titan's somewhat elliptical orbit around Saturn may result in
a more subtle type of tidal friction than what causes volcanism on Jupiter's
moon Io.
Finally, Titan is the only moon in the solar system with a substantial
atmosphere. Titan's thick fog, 1.5 times the density of Earth's atmosphere,
blankets the moon in an opaque orange veil. This veil comprises primarily
nitrogen, with some methane.
The small amount of methane in Titan's atmosphere intrigues planetary
geologists. Says Lopes, "Because methane is photo-dissociated in
Titan's atmosphere and forms organics such as ethane, propane, and acetylene,
it must be replenished somehow." Some researchers suggest lakes
or even seas of liquid methane or ethane could be re-supplying the atmospheric
methane.
Cassini's Synthetic Aperture Radar mapped features that appear to be
drainage networks, river valleys, and dark spots on the surface that
resemble bodies of liquid, or areas that were recently filled. Although
these bodies could contribute to the atmospheric methane, cryovolcanism
now seems a more likely candidate.
Newspaper
and Magazine Articles
Brazilian Doctor's Guide to Volcanoes
Margarete Magalhaes
Folha de Sao Paulo Newspaper, Brazil
December 16, 2004
Download PDF File
"Article about Rosaly Lopes and The Volcano Adventure Guide in the
Folha de Sao Paulo Newspaper
(Brazil)."
Ciencia e Vida
Revista O GLOBO
January 1, 2005
Download PDF File
- Part 1
Download PDF File
- Part 2
"Article about Rosaly Lopes and The Volcano Adventure Guide.
(Brazil)."
Find Adventure near a Volcano
The Associated Press
Friday, May 27, 2005
The
Post-Gazette.com / Travel Section
"Article about Rosaly Lopes and The Volcano Adventure Guide.
(England)."
The Universe
Jet Propulsion Laboratory - NASA
Friday, June 3, 2005
The Universe Newspaper
Page Two article about Rosaly Lopes winning the Carl Sagan Medal.
Lopes earns communication honor
In recognition of her significant efforts over the past 20 years in
public outreach and education—particularly among Hispanic groups and
young women—JPL volcanologist DR. ROSALY LOPES has been named the 2005
recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal.
This prize is awarded by the American Astronomical Society’s Division
for Planetary Sciences.
(Pasadena, California).
Volcano adventures
The Anniston Star
Saturday, May 28, 2005
The Anniston Star / Travel
Section / Page 19
Volcano adventures
For Rosaly Lopes, watching a volcano spout smoke or staring into a bubbling
pit of lava is the best adventure on earth. Lopes, who studies volcanoes
around the globe and throughout the solar system for NASA, wrote The
Volcano Adventure Guidebecause people were always asking her for advice
on visiting volcanoes.
The book explains the science and history of volcanoes but also provides
practical information about visiting volcanoes in Hawaii, Iceland, Greece,
Costa Rica, the Caribbean, the continental United States and Italy.
Lopes explains how to stay safe, where to hike for the best views and
even lists other attractions nearby.
In Italy, volcanoes range from Mount Vesuvius, which has been dormant
since 1944, to Stromboli, which has small eruptions every 20 minutes
or so that are relatively safe to see from nearby. American sites include
Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier in Washington.
The Volcano Adventure Guide, a hardcover published by England’s Cambridge
University Press, is $50.
Books by Dr. Rosaly Lopes:
The Volcano Adventure Guide - Buy
it Today by clicking Here!
Volcanic Worlds: Exploring the Solar System Volcanoes (with Tracy Gregg)
- Buy
it Today by clicking Here!
Io
After Galileo (with John Spencer) - Buy
it Today by clicking Here
Download
PDF of the cover (236 KB)
Coming
soon:
Alien
Volcanos: Johns Hopkins Press 2006 (Pre-Order)
Dr. Rosaly M. Lopes
Email: rlopes@lively.jpl.nasa.gov
|
Home
Interviews
Reviews
Articles
Sagan Medal
Other Awards
Guinness Book
Talks
Books
Dr. Lopes
Expeditions
Pictures
Videos
Press Releases
Contact Info
Useful Links
|