Ever since she watched the coverage of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens at age 13, author Elizabeth Rusch has been obsessed with volcanoes.
In Will It Blow?: Become a Volcano Detective at Mount St. Helens, an addition to the Scientists in the Field series, Rusch follows volcanologists Andy Lockhart, John Pallister and their team as they try to unlock the mysteries of volcanic eruptions. She follows a small group with the U.S. Geological Society, the VDAP (Volcano Disaster Assistance Program), as they investigate eruptions in Colombia, the Philippines, Chile and Indonesia. Her accessible, dense account sets the context for why scientists study the history and geology of volcanoes, and an airy layout and clear maps help guide readers through the events.
Rusch finds the balance between the technical and risk-taking work of the VDAP, and the personal nature of their situation. Readers will appreciate the human insights and analogies she uses to describe the geology--Rusch uses peanut M&Ms as a way of understanding the Ring of Fire, and a sidebar entitled "Don't Forget the Toilet Paper" to list supplies needed in the field. Rusch's writing style incorporates insightful information alongside the chronology of each of the featured volcanic disasters, as well as explanations of how the VDAP and local scientists use data from the events to predict the next eruption. Tom Uhlman's abundant photographs document the landscape of the volcanoes and the way these "hot spots" impact the lives of the people who live there. --Susannah Richards, associate professor, Eastern Connecticut State University