The Earth in Turmoil: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Their Impact on Humankind - Hardcover

Sieh, Kerry E.; Levay, Simon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0716731517 ISBN 13: 9780716731511

Publisher: W H Freeman & Co, 1998

Synopsis

Writing for a popular audience, the authors describe earthquakes and volcanos from the point of view of scientists investigating their causes and attempting to forecast future activity. Focusing on volcanic and seismic hazards across the U.S., the book discusses past events and efforts to understand them for future predictive purposes. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

About this title

Review:

A million and a half people have died in the last century as a result of geological cataclysms--a small number compared to those who have died in storms, floods, or wars, to be sure, but still enough to give us a reasonable fear of the planet's unpredictable motions. In this handy primer, Sieh and Levay explore the scientific issues surrounding such matters as making buildings and roadways earthquake-tolerant, noting that the behavior of seismic energy cannot be reliably forecast "because the rupture is not a small focus of energy like a light bulb but an event that propagates across a large surface over an appreciable period of time." They also note that plenty of places besides California and Japan are due for quakes and volcanoes in the near future. --Gregory McNamee

About the Author:

Kerry Sieh is Professor of Geology in the Seismological Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology and a member of numerous groups and organizations concerned with the prediction of earthquakes and strategies to minimize the damage and harm they cause. Sieh was recently elected a member of the National Academy of Science, and he is the author of many scientific articles on earthquake geology and volcanism and the co-author of The Geology of Earthquakes.

Simon LeVay is a neuroscientist and well-known science writer who has taught at Harvard Medical School and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, California. He has also lectured widely and is a frequent interviewee on topics related to brain research and homosexuality.

About this edition

• Publisher: W H Freeman & Co
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0716731517
• ISBN 13: 9780716731511
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 324