Earthquakes Science & Society

by Brumbaugh, David S.

• ISBN13: 9780321612281
• ISBN10: 0321612280
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2019-10-03
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

With a unique three-part organization, this non-quantitative, carefully illustrated book introduces the scientific, historical, and personal safety aspects of earthquakes. It provides 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. Earthquake prediction is discussed, including past and present attempts at prediction and the techniques available. A handbook for personal safety vs. earthquakes is provided, outlining the steps to take before, during, and after an earthquake. It assumes no scientific background. Earthquakes: Myths, Legends, and Logic; Measuring Earthquakes; Faults and Earthquakes; Earthquake Size and Location; The Earthquake Process; Plate Tectonics; Journey to the Center of the Earth; Earthquakes and Tsunamis; Earthquake Triggering; Great Historic Earthquakes; Earthquakes in the United States; Earthquake Prediction; What to do Before, During, and After an Earthquake; Building for Earthquake Safety. A useful reference for anyone interested in learning more about earthquakes.

Author Biography

Dr. David S. Brumbaugh received his Ph.D. from Indiana University with a specialty in Geophysics. He is Professor at Northern Arizona University and Director of the Arizona Earthquake Information Center. His research interests include the mechanics of normal and thrust faulting; earthquake source mechanics; Cenozoic tectonics of the southern Colorado Plateau and transition zone; earthquake studies of the North Anatolian fault zone, Turkey, and the Aleutian plate boundary.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vi
Earthquake Basics	p. 1
Earthquakes: Myths, Legends, and Logic	p. 3
Myths, Legends, and Gods: Early Ideas on the Origin of Earthquakes	p. 3
The Natural World and Earthquakes	p. 7
The Age of Reason: The Eighteenth Century	p. 9
The Elastic Rebound Theory	p. 12
Summary	p. 15
Measuring Earthquakes	p. 17
Intensity of Ground Shaking	p. 17
Development of Early Mechanical Seismographs	p. 24
Seismographs and Earthquake Waves	p. 37
Development of Modern Seismic Observatories and Networks	p. 42
Digital Networks and Arrays	p. 46
IRIS and ANSS	p. 47
Summary	p. 48
Faults and Earthquakes	p. 50
An Introduction to Faults and Faulting	p. 50
Not All Faults Are Alike	p. 51
Fault Surfaces and Processes	p. 54
Fault Behavior and Time	p. 59
Faults and Topography	p. 63
Hidden Faults	p. 68
Summary	p. 69
Earthquake Data Analysis and Its Contributions to Science	p. 71
Earthquake Size and Location	p. 73
Introduction	p. 73
Earthquake Location	p. 73
Earthquake Depth	p. 79
Earthquake Size	p. 80
Summary	p. 85
The Earthquake Process	p. 87
Introduction	p. 87
An Important Clue: First Motion of the Ground	p. 87
The Fault Plane Solution: A Most Powerful Tool	p. 90
Focus Versus Fault: Earthquake Modeling	p. 94
Fault Plane Solution Versus Earthquake Modeling	p. 98
The Hidden Is Revealed	p. 100
Summary	p. 102
Plate Tectonics	p. 104
Introduction	p. 104
Puzzles and Pieces	p. 104
The Engine That Couldn't	p. 108
Convection and a Mobile Seafloor	p. 109
Magnets, Poles, and Submarines: The Great Discovery	p. 111
Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics	p. 114
Summary	p. 119
Journey to the Center of Earth	p. 120
Introduction	p. 120
Caves and Hollow Places Below: Ideas About Earth's Interior	p. 120
Solid As a Rock	p. 121
A Layered Earth: P-Wave Echos	p. 123
Structure of Earth's Interior	p. 128
X-Rays into Earth: Through a Glass Darkly	p. 130
Summary	p. 135
Earthquakes and Tsunami	p. 136
Introduction	p. 136
What Is a Tsunami?	p. 136
Sumatra (2004)	p. 139
New Guinea (1998)	p. 140
Lituya Bay, Alaska (1958)	p. 142
Summary	p. 144
Earthquake Triggering	p. 146
Introduction	p. 146
The Clues Were There	p. 146
Landers (1992): Earthquakes As Triggers	p. 148
A Record of Triggering	p. 151
Summary	p. 154
Earthquakes, Earthquake Geography, and Safety	p. 155
Great Historic Earthquakes	p. 157
Introduction	p. 157
Kourion	p. 157
Basel	p. 159
Shansi	p. 161
Jamaica	p. 162
Lisbon	p. 163
New Madrid	p. 165
Sonora, Mexico	p. 168
San Francisco	p. 168
Tokyo	p. 171
Chile	p. 173
Alaska	p. 175
Peru	p. 177
Mexico City	p. 178
Izmit	p. 180
Sumatra	p. 181
Sichuan	p. 182
Summary	p. 184
Earthquakes in the United States	p. 186
Introduction	p. 186
The Western United States	p. 186
Hawaii	p. 198
The Eastern United States	p. 199
Summary	p. 205
Earthquake Prediction	p. 207
Introduction	p. 207
Snakes, Yaks, and Cockroaches	p. 207
New Madrid: A False Alarm	p. 208
Earthquake Prediction: The Long and Short of It	p. 209
Short-Term Prediction: Precursors, Successes, and Failures	p. 213
The Dilatant-Diffusion Theory	p. 214
Parkfield: The Earthquake Prediction Experiment	p. 217
PRENLAB: An Interesting Success Story	p. 218
Fossil Earthquakes: Rocks Tell Tales	p. 219
California and the Big One	p. 221
Emergency Preparedness	p. 222
Summary	p. 222
What to Do Before, During, and After an Earthquake	p. 224
Introduction	p. 224
Earthquake Hazards	p. 224
Preparation Before an Earthquake	p. 226
During an Earthquake	p. 230
After an Earthquake	p. 230
Case Histories: Luck Plays a Part	p. 231
Summary	p. 233
Building for Earthquake Safety	p. 234
Introduction	p. 234
The Basics: What Is a Building?	p. 235
Site Selection	p. 235
Foundations	p. 236
Walls	p. 239
The Role of Design in Safety	p. 242
Ornamental Design and Chimneys	p. 243
Mobile Homes	p. 245
Summary	p. 246
Government Emergency Services and Geoscience Organizations	p. 247
Computer-Based Earthquake Information	p. 250
Suggested Readings	p. 251
Glossary	p. 253
Illustration Credits	p. 257
Index	p. 261
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.