The Great Quake Debate
eBook - ePub
Available until 23 Dec |Learn more

The Great Quake Debate

The Crusader, the Skeptic, and the Rise of Modern Seismology

  1. 328 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Available until 23 Dec |Learn more

The Great Quake Debate

The Crusader, the Skeptic, and the Rise of Modern Seismology

About this book

In the first half of the twentieth century, when seismology was still in in its infancy, renowned geologist Bailey Willis faced off with fellow high-profile scientist Robert T. Hill in a debate with life-or-death consequences for the millions of people migrating west. Their conflict centered on a consequential question: Is southern California earthquake country? These entwined biographies of Hill and Willis offer a lively, accessible account of the ways that politics and financial interests influenced the development of earthquake science. During this period of debate, severe quakes in Santa Barbara (1925) and Long Beach (1933) caused scores of deaths and a significant amount of damage, offering turning points for scientific knowledge and mainstreaming the idea of earthquake safety. The Great Quake Debate sheds light on enduring questions surrounding the environmental hazards of our dynamic planet. What challenges face scientists bearing bad news in the public arena? How do we balance risk and the need to sustain communities and cities? And how well has California come to grips with its many faults?

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Yes, you can access The Great Quake Debate by Susan Hough in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Physical Sciences & North American History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. The Great Quake Debate
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Preface
  6. Prologue: Setting the Stage
  7. 1. Bailey Willis
  8. 2. Robert T. Hill
  9. 3. Intersecting Orbits
  10. 4. Parting Company and Facing Disaster
  11. 5. Golden State
  12. 6. Framing the Debate
  13. 7. At the Epicenter
  14. 8. The Prediction
  15. 9. The Book
  16. 10. Retrenchment
  17. 11. The Climax
  18. 12. Settling the Score
  19. 13. Theater
  20. Epilogue: Legacies and Lessons
  21. Acknowledgments
  22. Notes
  23. Selected Bibliography
  24. Index
  25. Author