Cooling the Lava -- John McPhee
In order to enhance your "reading experience" and to
provide fodder for our discussion ....I'd like you to take some notes as you
read Cooling the Lava and do some thinking about what McPhee reports.
These sheets are due at the beginning of class on Monday.
1. What is the primary geologic process
which McPhee describes?
2. What are the tectonic environments of the two areas McPhee
considers in most detail?
3. What are 3 specific hazards facing the people of Heimaey and
how are they related to specific geologic processes?
4. What are the hazard reduction process taken by the Icelanders?
How do these processes compare to those taken by the Hawaiians. Explain how
these different reduction procedures work.
5. What aspects of the writing confused you? Write a question below pertaining to some part of the essay (geologic or social) that you didn't understand?