Overview

"A napping volcano blinked awake in March 1980. Two months later, when that mountain roared, Jim Scymanky was about twelve miles northwest, logging a north slope above Hoffstadt Creek. ""Rocks zinged through the woods, bouncing off trees, then the tops of trees snapped off… Suddenly I could see nothing…it got hot right away, then scorching hot and impossible to breathe. The air had no oxygen, like being trapped underwater…I was being cremated, the pain unbearable.""Steve Malone, at the University of Washington Seismology Laboratory, was inconsolable. ""We'd failed. For two months we'd counted and located thousands of earthquakes, looked for changes to anticipate an eruption. Then it just happened. It killed many people. It killed David Johnston. We could hardly work."" Author Richard Waitt was part of a U.S. Geological Survey team doing volcano research in the Cascades, and was one of the first to arrive following the mountain's early rumblings. His journey collecting eyewitness accounts began with a conversation in a bar the third week after Mount St. Helens erupted. The couple he met barely outraced a searing ash cloud, and Waitt realized their experiences could inform geologic studies. He eventually conducted hundreds of interviews--sometimes two and three decades later--often making multiple visits to gather additional details, correct errors, and resolve discrepancies. A meticulous scientist with intimate knowledge of Mount St. Helens, Waitt delivers a detailed and accurate chronicle of events. He tapped numerous primary sources--interviews, legal depositions, personal diaries, geologists' field notes, radio logs, and police records. Newspaper stories and even sun shadows on photographs revealed additional intricacies. In the Path of Destruction's eruption story unfolds through unforgettable, riveting narratives--the heart of a masterful chronology that also delivers engrossing science, history, and journalism."

Full Product Details

Author:   Richard Waitt
Publisher:   Washington State University Press
Imprint:   Washington State University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 2.20cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   1.134kg
ISBN:  

9780874223231

ISBN 10:   0874223237
Pages:   424
Publication Date:   14 January 2015
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Temporarily unavailable  
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Table of Contents

The Stick Before The Fuse Is Lit, But We Don't Know How Long It Is: Anatomy of Crisis 1. Seismograph (March 19-24) 2. Stage 3. Geyser 4. Bulge 5. You're Perfectly Safe Here, Aren't You? 6. Totally Clear, No Activity Let's Get the Hell Out of Here! 18 May 1980 7. Air 8. Cascade Peaks 9. Devastation 10. West 11. North 12. Northeast 13. East 14. South 15. Who's On First 16. Air Again 17. What's On Second 18. Plains 19. Valley It's a Totally Different World: Aftermath 20. Land of Lost Content Appendix I: Cast of Characters Appendix II: Sources and Methods Appendix III: Summary of Interviews 1980-2014 Notes References Index

Reviews

[In the Path of Destruction is] an invaluable and sobering read. --American Scientist An unorthodox, fascinating collection. Working from hundreds of interviews, Waitt applies a scientist's attention to detail and an insider's perspective. -- Oregon Historical Quarterly Like a thriller for the scientific set, but non-scientists won't be able to put it down either. --East Oregonian and The Register Guard Part scientific treatise, part eyewitness chronicles, and all engrossing. One of the most valuable books ever written about a volcanic eruption. --Scientific American Richard Waitt frames the most extraordinary geologic event of our times. In the Path of Destruction is among the most gripping and thoroughly compelling books I have read in years. --Robert Michael Pyle, author of Wintergreen, Where Bigfoot Walks, and Mariposa Road

Author Information

Richard Waitt is a research geologist for the US Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington. He has published articles in numerous journals and is a contributor to several books. In addition, he has collaborated on eight films, including for Discovery Channel, PBS-Nova, National Geographic Channel, and History Channel. Waitt received a Ph.D. in geological sciences from the University of Washington.

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