My experiments with volcanoes

In Short

This autobiography traces the life of Thomas Augustus Jaggar, Jr., the pioneering scientist who founded the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Moving from his early days as a student in Europe and field researcher in the American West to high-stakes expeditions in Martinique, the Aleutians, and the Pacific, Jaggar chronicles his evolution from an academic geologist into a hands-on volcanologist. The narrative weaves personal anecdotes, physical dangers, experimental mechanics, and planetary theory into a singular record of scientific devotion, enduring because it captures the precise moment field geology shifted from passive observation to active, continuous monitoring.

The Story

The book follows the arc of Thomas Augustus Jaggar, Jr.’s long career as he transforms from an eager young academic into a legendary figure in modern volcanology. It opens with his education at Harvard and his formative travels through Europe. Wandering through Norway’s wet fjords and attending international congresses in London and Zurich, Jaggar experiences the comedic misadventures of youth—including accidentally snubbing one of the world's most famous geologists over a lunch of beer and sauerkraut.

Returning to America, he gains field experience mapping terrain and unearthing ancient fossils across the Black Hills and the American West. These early chapters depict a classic era of wilderness geology, complete with rattlesnake encounters, lost pocket watches, and quirky camp cooks. Back in the laboratory at Harvard, Jaggar turns to experimental geology, building hydraulic tanks and mechanical presses to simulate natural forces. By layering marble dust, clay, and sand, or compressing mixtures of wax and turpentine, he successfully mimics the formation of the Grand Canyon’s stream patterns and the severe structural folding of the Appalachian Mountains.

The major turning point in Jaggar's life occurs in 1902, when catastrophic volcanic eruptions strike Mount Pelée in Martinique and the Soufrière on St. Vincent. Joining relief and research expeditions to the West Indies, Jaggar confronts the immense human toll of unpredicted volcanic disasters. Realizing that the subterranean machinery of volcanoes remains fatally misunderstood, he vows to devote his life to continuous, close-range volcanic observation.

This decision launches a decade of grueling exploratory journeys. Jaggar charters sailing vessels to map the remote, fog-bound Aleutian Islands, descends into sulfuric craters, and travels to Japan and New Zealand to consult with international researchers. In 1912, backed by the Hawaiian Volcano Research Association, he establishes the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the rim of Kilauea's Halemaumau crater.

The middle and later chapters document his decades living alongside active volcanoes. Jaggar and his colleagues design custom apparatuses—including platinum pyrometers, steel-sheathed thermocouples, and iron buckets—lowering them directly into boiling lava lakes to record temperatures and capture volcanic gases. Through years of systematic data collection, he reveals how molten basalt operates through exothermic gas reactions, and how the earth's crust flexes in response to celestial tides. Later in life, Jaggar expands his inquiries to seismic monitoring on remote coral islets, West Indian hazard assessments, hardness testing of materials, and speculative comparisons between terrestrial volcanology and the cratered surface of the moon. He closes his life's record reflecting on global cosmology, viewing volcanic activity on the ocean floor as an ongoing driver of earthly creation.

How It Unfolds

Youthful training and European travel Jaggar begins his career as a Harvard graduate student, traveling across Europe to study under master petrographers, explore Norwegian fjords by rowboat, and attend international geological conventions.

Fieldwork in the American West Taking to the field in the Black Hills, he collects fossil turtles and rhinoceros skulls, escapes rattlesnakes, and works alongside eccentric camp crews while gaining practical surveying skills.

Laboratory experiments in physical geology At Harvard, Jaggar constructs scaled laboratory models, using water sprays on layered dust and mechanical presses on wax strata to replicate stream erosion, canyon formation, and mountain building.

The Caribbean disasters of 1902 The deadly eruptions of Mount Pelée and Soufrière shock Jaggar into recognizing that transient visits are inadequate, prompting his lifelong commitment to permanent volcanic observation.

Expeditions to the Aleutians and abroad Jaggar navigates tempestuous seas, fog, and ice craters throughout the Aleutian chain, formulating the operational requirements for permanent field stations and amphibian exploration craft.

Founding the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Arriving at Kilauea in 1912, he establishes a permanent monitoring post and begins the hazardous work of taking measurements and collecting gas samples directly from active lava pits.

Living with the fires of Kilauea Over decades of daily observation, Jaggar measures lava lake fluctuations, maps explosive collapses, and proves that volcanic systems swell and shrink in response to gravitational tides.

Equipping expeditions and island surveys His work extends to seismic testing on equatorial coral islets like Howland and Baker, joining solar eclipse expeditions to Niuafoou, and advising West Indian governments on disaster preparedness.

Late studies in mechanics and cosmology In his final years, Jaggar invents materials testing devices, analyzes lunar geology, and synthesizes his life's work into a cosmological theory of continuous creation at the ocean floor.

The People

• Thomas Augustus Jaggar, Jr.: The narrator and central figure. Driven by an intense desire to protect human life through empirical science, he willingly trades the safety of university lecture halls for violent crater rims, inventing field instruments and leading expeditions across the globe.
• Isabel Jaggar: Thomas’s wife and essential scientific collaborator from 1917 onward. She manages Observatory record books, operates delicate seismogenic instruments, takes notes amidst hazardous crater conditions, and acts as a buffer against public distractions.
• Sir Archibald Geikie: The Director General of the Geological Survey of Great Britain and Ireland. An eminent figure whom young Jaggar unknowingly deserts in a Zurich teahouse in favor of a livelier student beer garden, framing a humorous lesson in humility.
• The Camp Cook: A colorful character hired during the Black Hills expedition. A former circus performer who claimed to eat glass, his overly elaborate meals consistently delayed the survey crew's schedule, though he served them with grand flourishes.
• Dr. Shepherd and Frank A. Perret: Jaggar’s early scientific collaborators at Halemaumau. They design and deploy pioneering pyrometers to measure molten lava temperatures, enduring dramatic equipment losses when suction whirlpools swallow their heavy gear.
• Demosthenes and George Lycurgus: The proprietors of the Volcano House hotel near Kilauea. They provide land grants, financial backing, and logistical support to sustain Jaggar's research observatory over many years.

In Its Own Voice

“We haven’t any money and we ought to feel quite blue / But we don’t, we feel so happy, we don’t know what to do.”

Following days of relentless rain in Norway, a stranded Jaggar and his companion compose this lighthearted verse, convincing a local innkeeper to extend them credit without cash.

“When Shepherd lowered the terminal directly into the liquid, ‘Old Faithful’ exploded, for the molten slag proved to be a suction whirlpool which threw tentacles of lava over the steel pipe.”

Jaggar details the intense physical challenges of early volcanology as expensive research tools are swallowed by bubbling molten rock during temperature experiments at Kilauea.

“Gradually I realized that the killing of thousands of persons by subterranean machinery totally unknown to geologists and then unexplainable was worthy of a life work.”

Reflecting on the devastating 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée, Jaggar defines the core humanitarian mission that directed the remainder of his scientific career.

What It's Really About

At its heart, the book is an argument for continuous, patient observation over fleeting scientific tourism. Jaggar contends that nature cannot be understood through isolated snapshots or abstract equations alone; one must live alongside natural phenomena to grasp their true mechanics. Beneath the travel accounts lies a deep preoccupation with the dynamic, restless character of the planet—what Jaggar calls the truth that "Terra firma is never static."

The book also explores the vital intersection between pure science and public safety. Jaggar insists that geology carries a moral duty: by learning the rhythmic warnings of earth's crustal movements, scientists can prevent catastrophic losses of life. Finally, it reflects a philosophical leap, connecting minute laboratory experiments to grand cosmological processes, proposing that volcanic action on ocean floors represents continuous physical creation.

Why Read It Today

This memoir offers a vivid look into the golden age of natural science, appealing to lovers of scientific history, outdoor exploration, and planetary physics. Reading Jaggar’s narrative feels like sitting beside a veteran investigator who views the earth not as a dead rock, but as a living engine of heat and motion. His writing combines clear technical explanations with an unpretentious, dry wit that makes complex geophysics accessible.

Modern readers will appreciate how Jaggar’s practical foresight shaped modern hazard forecasting, environmental monitoring, and amphibious engineering. The prose occasionally reflects the structural layout of mid-century technical memoirs, featuring detailed lists of historical personnel, geographic coordinates, and regional lists. However, these period specifics are balanced by dramatic eyewitness descriptions of erupting craters, wild oceanic landings, and early laboratory breakthroughs. Ultimately, the book stays with you as an inspiring portrait of lifetime dedication—a story of a scientist who looked straight into the earth's fires to keep humanity safe.