Eruptions that Shook the World

Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs and shape human civilisation? Clive Oppenheimer explores the greatest volcanic events of the past quarter of a billion years, using rich geological, historical, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records. His forensic approach to volcanology links cause and effect, providing important lessons for future catastrophe risk management.

"What does it take for a volcanic eruption to really shake the world? Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs, or help humans to evolve, only to decimate their populations with a super-eruption 73,000 years ago? Did they contribute to the ebb andflow of ancient empires, the French Revolution and the rise of fascism in Europe in the 19th century? These are some of the claims made for volcanic cataclysm. Volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer explores rich geological, historical, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records (such as ice cores and tree rings) to tell the stories behind some of the greatest volcanic events of the past quarter of a billion years. He shows how a forensic approach to volcanology reveals the richness and complexity behind cause and effect, and argues that important lessons for future catastrophe risk management can be drawn from understanding events that took place even at the dawn of human origins"--