No Apparent Danger: The True Story of Volcanic Disaster at Galeras and Nevado Del Ruiz
Nov 2010 · Harper Collins
4.7star
7 reviewsreport
Ebook
272
Pages
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
About this ebook
“Heart-stopping. . . . A gripping disaster story [and] a scathing account of human folly, arrogance and ambition.” –The New York Times Book Review
On January 14, 1993, a team of scientists descended into the crater of Galeras, an Andean volcano in Colombia, for a day of field research. As the group slowly moved toward the heart of the volcano, Galeras erupted. Nine men died instantly.
Colombian geologist Marta Calvache raced into the rumbling crater, praying to find survivors. This was Calvache’s second volcanic disaster. In 1985 Calvache was part of a group of Colombia’s brightest young scientists that had been studying Nevado del Ruiz, a volcano three hundred miles north of Galeras. When Nevado del Ruiz erupted suddenly in November 1985, it killed more than twenty-three thousand people—one of the worst natural disasters of the twentieth century.
In the aftermath of Nevado del Ruiz, volcanologists from all over the world came to Galeras to better understand the behavior of monumental forces at work deep within the earth. And yet, despite such expertise, fifteen people descended into a death trap at Galeras.
Victoria Bruce weaves together the stories of the heroes, victims, survivors, and bystanders, evoking with great sensitivity what it means to live in the shadow of a volcano, and shows how clashing cultures and scientific arrogance resulted in tragedy.
“Spellbinding.” —Publishers Weekly
“A scientific thriller [that] shows how natural disasters are also the work of men.” —Boston Globe
“A vivid account.” —Time Magazine
“Impossible to put down.” —Sebastian Junger, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Perfect Storm
On January 14, 1993, a team of scientists descended into the crater of Galeras, an Andean volcano in Colombia, for a day of field research. As the group slowly moved toward the heart of the volcano, Galeras erupted. Nine men died instantly.
Colombian geologist Marta Calvache raced into the rumbling crater, praying to find survivors. This was Calvache’s second volcanic disaster. In 1985 Calvache was part of a group of Colombia’s brightest young scientists that had been studying Nevado del Ruiz, a volcano three hundred miles north of Galeras. When Nevado del Ruiz erupted suddenly in November 1985, it killed more than twenty-three thousand people—one of the worst natural disasters of the twentieth century.
In the aftermath of Nevado del Ruiz, volcanologists from all over the world came to Galeras to better understand the behavior of monumental forces at work deep within the earth. And yet, despite such expertise, fifteen people descended into a death trap at Galeras.
Victoria Bruce weaves together the stories of the heroes, victims, survivors, and bystanders, evoking with great sensitivity what it means to live in the shadow of a volcano, and shows how clashing cultures and scientific arrogance resulted in tragedy.
“Spellbinding.” —Publishers Weekly
“A scientific thriller [that] shows how natural disasters are also the work of men.” —Boston Globe
“A vivid account.” —Time Magazine
“Impossible to put down.” —Sebastian Junger, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Perfect Storm
Ratings and reviews
4.7
7 reviews
M M
- Flag inappropriate
July 17, 2024
Fascinating reading, I was gripped from the start. What was found was a tale of one who re-invented his failings & used the work of others to cover up his mishandlings that led to the needless deaths of others. Chouet had already proved that his method of reading the signals that volcanoes give, could be applied & used on any volcano. They were there, even on the day it happened. Williams just refused to acknowledge it, until after he couldnt refuse it was there, by getting junior staff to link two methods. He has shown no guilt or remorse for the lives lost from his incompetance. Shame on him & those who helped him cover it up. RIP those lives lost from all eruptions around the world.
About the author
Victoria Bruce holds a master's degree in geology from the University of California at Riverside. A former science writer for NASA and science reporter for the Portland Oregonian, she splits her time between Annapolis and Miami Beach.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
