Earthshaking Science
eBook - ePub

Earthshaking Science

What We Know (and Don't Know) about Earthquakes

  1. 256 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Earthshaking Science

What We Know (and Don't Know) about Earthquakes

About this book

This is the first book to really make sense of the dizzying array of information that has emerged in recent decades about earthquakes. Susan Hough, a research seismologist in one of North America's most active earthquake zones and an expert at communicating this complex science to the public, separates fact from fiction. She fills in many of the blanks that remained after plate tectonics theory, in the 1960s, first gave us a rough idea of just what earthquakes are about. How do earthquakes start? How do they stop? Do earthquakes occur at regular intervals on faults? If not, why not? Are earthquakes predictable? How hard will the ground shake following an earthquake of a given magnitude? How does one quantify future seismic hazard?

As Hough recounts in brisk, jargon-free prose, improvements in earthquake recording capability in the 1960s and 1970s set the stage for a period of rapid development in earthquake science. Although some formidable enigmas have remained, much has been learned on critical issues such as earthquake prediction, seismic hazard assessment, and ground motion prediction. This book addresses those issues.

Because earthquake science is so new, it has rarely been presented outside of technical journals that are all but opaque to nonspecialists. Earthshaking Science changes all this. It tackles the issues at the forefront of modern seismology in a way most readers can understand. In it, an expert conveys not only the facts, but the passion and excitement associated with research at the frontiers of this fascinating field. Hough proves, beyond a doubt, that this passion and excitement is more accessible than one might think.

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Yes, you can access Earthshaking Science by Susan Elizabeth Hough in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & Seismology & Volcanism. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Preface
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Chapter One: The Plate Tectonics Revolution
  9. Chapter Two: Sizing Up Earthquakes
  10. Chapter Three: Earthquake Interactions
  11. Chapter Four: Ground Motions
  12. Chapter Five: The Holy Grail of Earthquake Prediction
  13. Chapter Six: Mapping Seismic Hazard
  14. Chapter Seven: A Journey Back in Time
  15. Chapter Eight: Bringing the Science Home
  16. Notes
  17. Suggested Reading
  18. Index