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Control of Nature Essay The earth, with its vast structure of land masses is expected to experience different forms of worldly phenomena. World-renowned Writer John McPhee saw it all. The massive destruction caused by inevitable earthly chaos made by humanity’s ignorance and intentional or unintentional disregard of natural processes struck him. For the reason that of McPhee’s benevolent concern for nature and earth’s creatures, he came up with a book narrating human struggle against nature and elaborated certain reasons why such unfortunate fate took place. His primary endeavor is to give the world an interest on Geology and Environmental Science, and provide reasons why Nature, cannot be controlled but can be at least be avoided. Control of Nature is a book catering a series of earth’s revenge against man-made discrepancies aimed to make the contemporary society of today realize that any struggle against natural forces must be taken with great responsibility so as to prevent any form of chaos caused by such disregard. He cited one incident which happened in Iceland during the year 1973, tackled in Chapter Two of the book, where an island gashed open without warning and massive volumes of lava from an assumed â€Å"sleeping† Volcano spitted elements colored with red and gold, flaming with fire, began moving in a nearby harbor half a mile away. Worse, the harbor was along the nation’s southern coast, considered as the only harbor along its vicinity, the root of life for them. It had accounted a huge percentage of Iceland’s economy export, took away a large number of lives and horrified each living creature inhabiting the specified vicinity. It made the Icelanders establish nature, as an enemy of the State. Such raging earthly phenomena of hot molten lava flowing from the unpredicted component of the planet came too hard to impede with. It came like a bolt of lightning which suddenly electrified a roof of hope and serenity. Not even the strongest man alive could dare to stop, a superhero was needed, a miracle perhaps. But human rationality and sense of initiative came not out of order. The people of Vestmannaeyjar had to do something. Or else, it shall take what they have sown, the evil attack of nature must die out or it shall take their lives, and the life they long to live in the future. Then one man found a way to help his community, he was then the hero. Analysis Volcanic eruptions are the surface expression of processes that occur deep within the Earth. Many of theses processes take place juts below the Earth’s outer rigid shell, whereas some volcanic eruptions owe their origin to very deep disturbances, even at the boundary between the core and the Earth’s mantle at 2890 km below the surface (Encyclopedia on Volcanoes, p. 39). Certain volcanic activities can endanger a large mass of people and property on the spot where the land mass is situated given the fact that it’s high volume of lava flows, streams of molten rock are emitted by an erupting vent. It’s level of destruction to any form is high since that its temperature falls from 700  °C to 1,200  °C (1,300  °F to 2,200  °F), capable enough to eat anything which shall bar along its way. In the case of the Icelanders, Mt. Lakagigar (Laki) in the year 1973 took a number of 9,340 lives. But the impeccable thing is that the occurrence of the aforementioned chaos in Iceland was not like all the other typical situations experienced by places having such reprisal from nature; take for example the eruptions in Italy and Indonesia, exterminating more or less than 4,000 people in one single incident due to Pyroclastic Flow. Another is the terrifying Lahar in Mt. Nueva del Ruiz in Colombia taking over 23,000 lives. On the other hand, the Icelanders had gone eradicated in their hometown due to Post-eruption starvation. One cause of death which perhaps never yet crossed in their minds during their century making them too confident of their supply of food and water, after having assumed the fact that they already got their salvation from the wickedness of the flaming mountain. The ingenious way of the Icelandic Engineer may have had given great hope to its community, but what they less anticipated was that volcanic eruptions leave an unbeneficial form of dramatic and violent changes in nature leading its people to face the horrors of hunger. It drove many Icelanders leave their homes, look for a better place to live in, earn a job and raise their families in another state. It was not easy for them to leave the place they called home, but they held no choice, or else, they’ll starve and rot to death in the molten rock which once gave them an adrenalin rush. Although the initiative done by the Engineer, being a fan of geology and geophysics at that, if not so much to use, helped in saving quite a number of lives; still has not completely reached what it wanted to fulfill. If the advancement of technology and the level of perseverance could have had been instilled to those living in that point of time, then much could have had enjoyed what the present contemporary masses is enjoying now. Furthermore methods for determining the controls on magma composition had been closely studied nowadays. Earth scientists have developed several techniques for understanding and interpreting the compositional variation so as to alert the individuals inhabiting such volcano-close place are now being studied, which is good news. Volcanologists continuously observe and investigate the rise and expansion of an initially bubbly mixture in a conduit (signs of decompression of a bubbly magma), an important fact to be taken consideration to name the level warning they are to send the residents. International Agencies at present seek to slay aftermath predicaments assassinating entities which rise after phenomenal destructions, volcanic eruptions specifically; such as Starvation (caused by molten magma covering the entire agricultural region), displacement of residence (which most likely will cause emotional crisis) and unanticipated Volcanic Eruptions. Conceivably, the only beneficial point of the incident as narrated in John McPhee’s case study and the heroic act done by the outstanding engineer is the actuality that nature, unconsciously takes what it wants to take. Pressuring people to constantly seek for answers, ways and means, to save what must be saved. Conclusion At present, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers considered building a dam high up the crease between the huge volcanoes, which serves as a barrier of the immediate flow of volcanic emission from the land mass. The awfulness sought by the Icelanders is now taken like a cold magma to the families which were left orphaned. The nightmare is now three thousand feet below the present level of the ocean. All of that and then some is Iceland. It gave them a crack in the head trying to restore what they have lost. Still carrying the burden of nature’s tragedy, eating them up whole, but then, as John McPhee has heard their sentiments and has written an inspirational book narrating their stories; it shall give them hope that not all that kills them will forever torment them in an agony of despair. Their stories helped people, not only in their place but all over the globe. It was a signal to the Government to cooperate with them in building back their Nation. They never wanted to leave their home. They never wanted to experience such. Nobody wanted it. But natural phenomenon is but unstoppable. It just comes. But then, modern science tells the world that the 21st Century can avoid such. With the use of facilities and technology to detect a visiting retribution of nature, rationality shall save one. Reading the book and internalizing the Icelander’s unfortunate fate shall at least awaken the sleeping sense of sympathy and munificence of a person. There are people seeking for help. Seeking for a family. Seeking for a hand. It was Nature who held Control. It was a story of real people, of real hopes. Reference: McPhee J. 1990. The Control of Nature Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Simkin T, Siebert L. 1999. Earths Volcanoes and Eruptions: An Overview. Encyclopedia of Volcanoes. San Diego: Academic Press. p 39.