The present volume seems to me to be a particularly im­ portant one for several reasons. Not least among these is the fact that it summarizes the work of two decades by G. S. Gorshkov, one of the world's leading volcanologists. In addition, it is the first general work of this length on the volcanism of what might be called a "narrow" island arc, a relatively simple megastructure as com­ pared with the "wide" arcs such as Japan and Indonesia. Finally, in this volume Gorshkov has summarized and cited extensive evi­ dence for his general ideas on the relation between volcanism and the earth's crust and mantle. A few potentially troublesome items should be noted here. In the translation the Russian terms "suite" and "series" have been retained, though for American readers these might better have been translated as "formation" and "group. " In almost all cases Russian place names have simply been transliterated rather than translated (e. g. , "Yuzhnyi Isthmus" rather than "South Isthmus"); in a few cases the English equivalent has been given in brackets where this is essential to the understanding of the author's com­ ments. The adjectives have retained their Russian case endings in the process (masculine -yi or -ii, feminine -aya or -'ya, neuter -oe) and this may occasionally lead to some slight confusion, for example, when the author calls a given feature Severnyi Volcano at one point and Severnaya Mountain at another.

In March 2013, the Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT) celebrated the 20th anniversary of its activity. This team, which was created by the joint efforts of Russian and American scientists, analyzes on a daily basis the data supplied by the complex (seismic, video, visual, and satellite) monitoring system of volcanoes of Kamchatka and the Northern Kuril Islands to notify airline companies and all interested organizations about potential hazards.

This impressive scientific resource presents up-to-date information on ten thousand years of volcanic activity on Earth. In the decade and a half since the previous edition was published new studies have refined assessments of the ages of many volcanoes, and several thousand new eruptions have been documented. This edition updates the book's key components: a directory of volcanoes active during the Holocene; a chronology of eruptions over the past ten thousand years; a gazetteer of volcano names, synonyms, and subsidiary features; an extensive list of references; and an introduction placing these data in context. This edition also includes new photographs, data on the most common rock types forming each volcano, information on population densities near volcanoes, and other features, making it the most comprehensive source available on Earth's dynamic volcanism.

Ebeko volcano at the northern part of Paramushir Island in the Kuril island arc produces frequent phreatic eruptions and relatively strong fumarolic activity at the summit area ~ 1000 m above sea level (asl). The fumaroles are characterized by low-temperature, HCl- and S-rich gas and numerous hyper-acid pools (pH < 1) without drains. At ~ 550 m asl, in the Yurieva stream canyon, many hot (up to 87 °C) springs discharge ultra-acidic (pH 1–2) SO4–Cl water into the stream and finally into the Sea of Okhotsk. During quiescent stages of degassing, these fumaroles emit 1000–2000 t/d of water vapor, < 20 t/d of SO2 and < 5 t/d of HCl. The measurement of acidic hot Yurieva springs shows that the flux of Cl and S, 60–80 t/d each, is independent on the volcanic activity in the last two decades. Such high flux of Cl is among the highest ever measured in a volcano–hydrothermal system. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of water and Cl concentration for Yurieva springs show an excellent positive correlation, indicating a mixing between meteoric water and magmatic vapor. In contrast, volcanic gas condensates of Ebeko fumaroles do not show a simple mixing trend but rather a complicated data suggesting evaporation of the acidic brine. Temperatures calculated from gas compositions and isotope data are similar, ranging from 150 to 250 °C, which is consistent with the presence of a liquid aquifer below the Ebeko fumarolic fields. Saturation indices of non-silicate minerals suggest temperatures ranging from 150 to 200 °C for Yurieva springs. Trace elements (including REE) and Sr isotope composition suggest congruent dissolution of the Ebeko volcanic rocks by acidic waters. Waters of Yurieva springs and waters of the summit thermal fields (including volcanic gas condensates) are different in Cl/SO4 ratios and isotopic compositions, suggesting complicated boiling–condensation–mixing processes.