Chasing Lava: A Geologist’s Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Wendell A. Duffield
Wendell A. Duffield’s story of his three-year tenure at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory balances near-death experiences with lighthearted anecdotes and the science behind the lava. Chasing Lava: A Geologist’s Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (Mountain Press, $16) takes place on the island of Hawaii, where Duffield and his wife live a "life in the clouds” in a house on stilts that shakes when Kîlauea Volcano quakes. Illustrated with sketches and period photos, the book traces the observatory’s history from its founding in 1912 to Duffield’s time there in the early 1970s. He offers insights into the volcano’s molten madness and its reigning goddess, Pele. The unpredictability of eruptions—coupled with the calculable science that lies beneath his feet—makes for a riveting account of this elusive geological phenomenon.
—Lara Caldwell
