Full Description
This reader-friendly, carefully illustrated text introduces the scientific, historical, and personal safety aspects of earthquakes. It is significantly broader in perspective than other texts on the subject, providing the basic scientific facts about earthquakes, explaining how the study of earthquakes has progressed through time, offering details on the development of earthquake instruments, and covering immediately practical aspects such as personal safety, building and living in areas prone to earthquakes, and earthquake geography. No prior courses are assumed.
Contents
PART I1. Earthquakes: Myths, Legends, and LogicMyths, Legends, and Gods: Early Ideas on the Origin of EarthquakesThe Natural World and EarthquakesThe Age of Reason: The Eighteenth CenturyThe Elastic Rebound TheorySummary2. Measuring EarthquakesIntensity of Ground ShakingDevelopment of Early Mechanical SeismographsSeismographs and Earthquake WavesDigital Networks and ArraysSummary3. Faults and EarthquakesAn Introduction to Faults and FaultingNot all Faults are AlikeFault Surfaces and ProcessesFault Behavior and TimeFaults and TopographyHidden FaultsSummaryPART II: Earthquake Data Analysis and its Contributions to Science4. Earthquake Size and LocationIntroductionEarthquake LocationEarthquake DepthEarthquake SizeSummary5. The Earthquake ProcessIntroductionAn Important Clue: First Motion of the GroundThe Fault Plane Solution: A Most Powerful ToolFocus Versus Fault: Earthquake ModelingFault Plane Solution Versus Earthquake ModelingThe Hidden is RevealedSummary6. Plate TectonicsIntroductionPuzzles and PiecesThe Appeal of Continental Drift: The Mountain that came to MohammedThe Engine that Couldn'tConvection and a Mobile SeafloorMagnets, Poles, and Submarines: The Great DiscoveryEarthquakes and Plate TectonicsSummary7. Journey to the Center of the EarthIntroductionCaves and Hollow Places Below: Ideas About Earth's InteriorSolid as a RockA Layered Earth: P-Wave EchoesStructure of Earth's InteriorX-Rays into Earth: Through a Glass DarklySummary8. Earthquakes and TsunamisIntroductionWhat is a Tsunami?Sumatra (2004)New Guinea (1998)Lituya Bay, Alaska (1958)Summary9. Earthquake TriggeringIntroductionThe Clues were thereSummaryPART III: Earthquakes, Earthquake Geography, and Safety10. Great Historic EarthquakesIntroductionKourionBaselShansiJamaicaLisbonNew MadridSonora, MexicoSan FranciscoTokyoChileAlaskaPeruMexico, CityIzmitSumatraSichuan11. Earthquakes in the United StatesIntroductionThe Western United StatesThe Eastern United StatesSummary12. Earthquake PredictionIntroductionSnakes, Yaks, and CockroachesNew Madrid: A False AlarmEarthquake Prediction: The Long and Short of itShort Term Prediction: Precursors, Successes and FailuresThe Dilatant-Diffusion Theory Parkfield: The Earthquake Prediction ExperimentPRENLAB: An Interesting Success StoryFossil Earthquakes: Rocks Tell TalesCalifornia and the Big OneEmergency PreparednessSummary13. What to do Before, During, and After an EarthquakeIntroductionEarthquake HazardsPreparation Before and EarthquakeDuring an EarthquakeAfter an EarthquakeCase Histories: Luck Plays a PartSummary14. Building for Earthquake SafetyIntroductionThe Basics: What is a Building?The Role of Design in SafetyOrnamental Design and ChimneysMobile HomesSummaryAppendix A: Government Emergency Services and Geoscience DepartmentsAppendix B: Computer Based Earthquake InformationAppendix C: Suggested ReadingsIllustration CreditsGlossary of TermsIndex
