Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes

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The recent volcanic activity at Mount St. Helens is a continuing reminder of the explosive power of our western volcanoes. Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes is Stephen Harris s completely revised, thoroughly researched account of the volatile history and deadly potential of volcanoes spanning the West from California to southwestern British Columbia. Fire Mountains of the West is intended for the general reader with an interest in the geologic forces that shape our western mountainscape. It begins with an introduction to volcanoes, the processes that create them, and the glaciers that sculpt them. The heart of the book is a fascinating biography of each of the major volcanoes of the West. From the subterranean lava tube caves of the Medicine Lake volcano to the fire-and-ice formation of Mount Garibaldi, from the cataclysmic collapse of Crater Lake to the incinerating blast of modern Mount St. Helens, and from deadly volcanic gas presently killing trees at Mammoth Mountain to massive mudflows waiting to burst from Mount Rainier, Stephen Harris brings to life in dynamic, crystal-clear language the geologic story behind each of the major volcanoes of the Cascade Range and Mono Lake area. Dramatic photos and illuminating maps and diagrams graphically illustrate the features of these magnificent mountains. A brief section at the end of each chapter gives directions and descriptions for those visiting the volcano. Harris also offers a careful appraisal of the prospects of each for future eruptions some of which may be more devastating to human life and property that any in the past. The book ends with a hypothetical account of a future eruption at Mount Shasta. With a rare ability to describe geologic processes in layperson s terms and elegant prose, Harris inspires in readers great respect and awe for the rugged beauty as well as the violent potential of these majestic fire mountains.