New book: Volcanic Debris Avalanches: From Collapse to Hazard

 

New book: Volcanic Debris Avalanches: From Collapse to Hazard

After 2.5 years of hard work, our book "Volcanic Debris Avalanches: From Collapse to Hazard" is now available. It is part of the "Advances in Volcanology" book series by Springer: https://www.springer.com/series/11157

This book presents state-of-the-art research of volcanic debris avalanches (VDAs) that are produced by partial, lateral collapse of volcanic edifices, one of the most impressive volcanic phenomena. It has been 40 years since the volcanic debris avalanche associated with the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, and our understanding of these events has grown considerably in the interim.

The book begins with an historical review of VDAs prior to 1980 and continues with an overview of the terminology, size, and geomorphological characteristics, the factors controlling volcano instability, and the possible climatic influences related to these events. Special attention is given to sedimentology as a key to interpreting their origin and mobility. Computer simulations are presented as a complementary tool to detailed geological mapping. Finally, the current understanding of lateral collapse processes in volcanic island and submarine environments, and an overview of volcaniclastic ring plain sedimentation in active volcanic settings complete the book.

The editors, Matteo Roverato, Anja Dufresne, and Jon Procter, acknowledge the unrelenting efforts of all researchers who contributed to the understanding of volcano lateral collapse and debris avalanches before and after the seminal event of Mount St. Helens volcano. We are particularly grateful to all the authors present in the book that made this manuscript possible. A special thank goes also to all reviewers who helped to improve the book.