Snow-clad Mt. Rainier, a 4,392 m-high volcano built by plate-tectonic
processes, dominates the pastoral scene around Orting, Washington. This
valley is an inviting place for people to live, work, and play, but it is
also highly vulnerable to destructive mudflows that could be generated by
renewed eruptive activity at Mt. Rainier. Society must learn to "co-exist"
intelligently with active volcanoes. (Photograph by David E. Wieprecht,
USGS.)
About the authors
W. Jacquelyne Kious
Jackie Kious is a San Francisco Bay Area native. She has always had
an interest in writing, having started as a Journalism Major at Skyline
College. She was then accepted into the Special Major program at San Francisco
State University. This program allowed her to design her own major combining
her interest in the earth and biological sciences with writing. Since receiving
her BS degree in Science Writing from San Francisco State University, Jackie has
written articles on subjects ranging from DNA Fingerprinting
and the Human Genome Project to biodiversity in the rain forests and meteorology.
In 1991, she attended an open house at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
western regional headquarters in Menlo Park, where she discovered the Volunteer
For Science program. She signed up to volunteer her time and was referred
to the Geologic Division, which had wanted to produce a general interest
publication on plate tectonics for some time. After modifying a pre-existing
rough outline, she teamed up with Volcanologist Bob Tilling to begin writing
This Dynamic Earth in January of 1992.
Jackie is an Administrative Assistant with the South San Francisco Fire
Department. In addition to her volunteer work with the USGS, she is
currently writing a history of the South San Francisco Fire Department and
assists with fundraising events for Ronald McDonald House and is a citizen
volunteer with a local police department.
Robert I. Tilling
Born in Shanghai, China, Bob Tilling grew up in southern California (near
San Diego). He received his BA from Pomona College, and a Ph.D. in geology
from Yale University, before joining the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in
1962. Dr. Tilling has worked as a volcanologist for nearly 25 years, beginning
with his assignment in 1972 to the USGS' Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO),
becoming its Scientist-in-Charge in 1975. He later served (1976-81) as
the Chief of the Office of Geochemistry and Geophysics, at USGS' headquarters
in Reston, Virginia, and was in charge of the USGS studies before, during,
and after the 18 May 1980 catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens. Thus,
Bob is no stranger to hazardous impacts of plate tectonics.
Since "rotating back" to a research position in 1982, Dr. Tilling
resumed his studies of eruptive phenomena and associated hazards in the
U.S. and abroad. He has written many articles -- technical and general-interest--
and has served as an invited consultant to a number of foreign countries
(e.g., Colombia, Ecuador, Iceland, Indonesia, and Mexico). In February
1996, Bob agreed once again to accept a management position: Chief Scientist
of the USGS Volcano Hazards Team, which is responsible for monitoring the
active volcanoes in the U.S. and assessing their potential hazards.
In October 1999, he again "rotated back" to a research position.
Since 1987, Bob has worked at the USGS' western regional center in Menlo
Park, California; he resides with his wife, Susan, in the foothills of the
nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. They have two grown daughters, Bobbi and Karen,
both living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one grandson (Peter). When not studying volcanoes, Bob
enjoys sculpting, hiking, playing racquetball, listening to music (classical
and country), and tasting of fine wines.
Further reading
These works listed furnish additional information on topics not covered,
or only briefly discussed, in the booklet.
Attenborough, David, 1986, The Living Planet: British Broadcasting Corporation,
320 p. (An informative, narrative version of the highly successful television
series about how the Earth works.)
Coch, N.K., and Ludman, Allan, 1991, Physical Geology: Macmillan Publishing
Company, New York, 678 p. (Well-illustrated college textbook that contains
excellent chapters on topics related to Earth dynamics and plate tectonics.)
Cone, Joseph, 1991, Fire Under the Sea: William Morrow and Company, Inc.,
New York, 285 p. (paperback). (A readable summary of oceanographic exploration
and the discovery of volcanic hot springs on the ocean floor.)
Decker, Robert, and Decker, Barbara, 1989, Volcanoes: W.H. Freeman and Company,
New York, 285 p. (paperback). (An excellent introduction to the study of
volcanoes written in an easy-to-read style.)
Duffield, W.A., Sass, J.H., and Sorey, M.L., 1994, Tapping the Earth's Natural
Heat: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1125, 63 p. (A full-color book that
describes, in non-technical terms, USGS studies of geothermal resources-one
of the benefits of plate tectonics-as a sustainable and relatively nonpolluting
energy source.)
Ernst, W.G., 1990, The Dynamic Planet: Columbia University Press, New York,
280 p. (A comprehensive college-level textbook that includes good chapters
on plate tectonics and related topics.)
Heliker, Christina, 1990, Volcanic and seismic hazards of the Island of
Hawaii: U.S. Geological Survey general-interest publication, 48 p. (A full-color
booklet summarizing the volcanic, seismic, and tsunami hazards.)
Krafft, Maurice, 1993, Volcanoes: Fire from the Earth: Harry N. Abrams,
New York, 207 p. (paperback). (A well-illustrated, non-technical primer
on volcanoes; Maurice Krafft and his wife Katia were the world's foremost
photographers of volcanoes before they were killed during the June 1991
eruption of Unzen Volcano, Japan.)
Lindh, A.G., 1990, Earthquake prediction comes of age: Technology Review,
Feb/March, p. 42-51. (A good introduction to the basis and techniques used
by scientists in attempting to predict earthquakes.)
McNutt, Steve, 1990, Loma Prieta earthquake, October 17, 1989: An overview:
California Geology, v. 43, no. 1, p. 3-7. (Along with the companion article
by D.D. Montgomery, gives the essential information about this destructive
earthquake along the San Andreas Fault.)
McPhee, John, 1993, Assembling California: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux,
New York, 303 p. (A fascinating account of the role of plate tectonics in
the geology of California, told in the typical McPhee style of conversations
with scientists.)
Montgomery, D.D., 1990, Effects of the Loma Prieta earthquake, October 17,
1989: California Geology, v. 43, no. 1, p. 8-13. (Along with the companion
article by Steve McNutt, gives the essential information about this destructive
earthquake along the San Andreas Fault.)
Ritchie, David, 1981, The Ring of Fire: New American Library, New York,
204 p. (paperback). (A popularized account of earthquakes, volcanoes, and
tsunamis that frequently strike the circum-Pacific regions.)
Schulz, S.S., and Wallace, R.E., 1989, The San Andreas Fault: U.S. Geological
Survey general-interest publication, 16 p. (This little booklet provides
the basic information about the San Andreas Fault Zone, including a good
discussion of earthquakes that occur frequently along it.)
Simkin, Tom, Unger, J.D., Tilling, R.I., Vogt, P.R., and Spall, Henry, compilers,
1994, This Dynamic Planet: World map of volcanoes, earthquakes, impact craters
and plate tectonics: 1 sheet, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). (In addition
to the map's visually obvious physiographic features that relate to plate
tectonics, the explanatory text gives a concise summary of how plate tectonics
work.)
Sullivan, Water, 1991, Continents in Motion: McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York,
430 p. (A comprehensive review of the developments that culminated in the
plate tectonics theory. Science Editor of the New York Times, Sullivan is
widely regarded as the "dean" of America's science writers.)
Tarbuck, Edward, and Lutgens, Frederick, 1985, Earth Science: Charles E.
Merrill Publishing Co., Columbus, Ohio, 561 p. (A college-level geology
textbook that contains good chapters on plate tectonics and related topics.)
Tilling, R.I., 1991, Born of fire: Volcanoes and igneous rocks: Enslow Publishers,
Inc., Hillside, New Jersey, 64 p. (An introductory text about the kinds
of volcanoes and their products and hazardous impacts-aimed at approximately
junior high- to high-school level.)
Tilling, R.I., Heliker, C., and Wright, T.L., 1987, Eruptions of Hawaiian
Volcanoes: Past, present, and future: U.S. Geological Survey general-interest
publication, 54 p. (A nontechnical summary, illustrated by many color photographs,
of the abundant data on Hawaiian volcanism; similar in format to this book.)
Tilling, R.I., Topinka, Lyn, and Swanson, D.A., 1990, Eruptions of Mount
St. Helens: Past, present, and future: U.S. Geological Survey general-interest
publication, 56 p. (A nontechnical summary, illustrated by many color photographs
and diagrams, of the abundant scientific data available for the volcano,
with emphasis on the catastrophic eruption of 18 May 1980; similar in format
to this book.)
Time-Life Books Inc., 1982, Volcano: 1983, Continents in Collision, in Planet
Earth Series: Alexandria, Virginia, Time-Life Books, 176 p. each. (Informative
and general surveys of volcanism and plate tectonics.)
Wright, T.L., and Pierson, T.C., 1992, Living with volcanoes: U.S. Geological
Survey Circular 1073, 57 p. (A non-technical summary of the USGS' Volcano
Hazards Program, highlighting the scientific studies used in forecasting
eruptions and assessing volcanic hazards, in the United States and abroad.)
This publication is one of a series of general interest publications prepared
by the U.S. Geological Survey to provide information about the earth sciences,
natural resources, and the environment. To obtain a catalog of additional
titles in the series "General Interest Publications of the U.S. Geological
Survey," write:
U.S. Geological Survey
Branch of Information Services
P.O. Box 25286
Denver, CO 80225
The paper version of this book can be ordered directly from the U.S. Geological
Survey:
USGS Information Services
Box 25286, Building 810
Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
303-202-4700; Fax 303-202-4693
Or call toll-free 1-888-ASK-USGS
Visit the U.S. Geological Survey Earth
Science Information Centers
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URL: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/Endnotes.html
Last updated: 03.28.00
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