THE eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland shut down air travel across much of Europe for five days last year, and Grímsvötn has just threatened a repeat performance. For many it came as a surprise how much disruption one relatively small eruption could cause, but volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer knew that these fireworks were just a taste of the kind of havoc that volcanoes can wreak.
In Eruptions that Shook the World, Oppenheimer romps through the geological past, detailing some of the major volcanic events and their global impact. Some say the mountains of lava spewed…
