Human Earthquake

Human Earthquake
Author: Ramon Darnell
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2017-12-17
Genre:
ISBN: 9780999221303

An epic journey from innocences to the mean streets of south side Chicago

Volcanoes in Human History

Volcanoes in Human History
Author: Jelle Zeilinga de Boer
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2012-01-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1400842859

When the volcano Tambora erupted in Indonesia in 1815, as many as 100,000 people perished as a result of the blast and an ensuing famine caused by the destruction of rice fields on Sumbawa and neighboring islands. Gases and dust particles ejected into the atmosphere changed weather patterns around the world, resulting in the infamous ''year without a summer'' in North America, food riots in Europe, and a widespread cholera epidemic. And the gloomy weather inspired Mary Shelley to write the gothic novel Frankenstein. This book tells the story of nine such epic volcanic events, explaining the related geology for the general reader and exploring the myriad ways in which the earth's volcanism has affected human history. Zeilinga de Boer and Sanders describe in depth how volcanic activity has had long-lasting effects on societies, cultures, and the environment. After introducing the origins and mechanisms of volcanism, the authors draw on ancient as well as modern accounts--from folklore to poetry and from philosophy to literature. Beginning with the Bronze Age eruption that caused the demise of Minoan Crete, the book tells the human and geological stories of eruptions of such volcanoes as Vesuvius, Krakatau, Mount Pelée, and Tristan da Cunha. Along the way, it shows how volcanism shaped religion in Hawaii, permeated Icelandic mythology and literature, caused widespread population migrations, and spurred scientific discovery. From the prodigious eruption of Thera more than 3,600 years ago to the relative burp of Mount St. Helens in 1980, the results of volcanism attest to the enduring connections between geology and human destiny. Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.

Human Casualties in Earthquakes

Human Casualties in Earthquakes
Author: Robin Spence
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 329
Release: 2011-01-03
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9048194555

Assessment of human casualties in earthquakes has become a topic of vital importance for national and urban authorities responsible for emergency provision, for the development of mitigation strategies and for the development of adequate insurance schemes. In the last few years important work has been carried out on a number of recent events (including earthquakes in Kocaeli, Turkey 1999, Niigata Japan, 2004, Sichuan, China 2008 and L'Aquila,Italy 2009). These events have created new and detailed casualty data, which has not until now been properly assembled and evaluated. This book draws the new evidence from recent events together with existing knowledge. It summarises current trends in the understanding of the factors influencing the numbers and types of casualties in earthquakes; it offers methods to incorporate this understanding into the estimation of losses in future events in different parts of the world; it discusses ways in which pre-event mitigation activity and post-event emergency management can reduce the toll of casualties in future events; and it identifies future research needs.

Earthquakes in Human History

Earthquakes in Human History
Author: Jelle Zeilinga de Boer
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 319
Release: 2021-08-10
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0691234205

On November 1, 1755--All Saints' Day--a massive earthquake struck Europe's Iberian Peninsula and destroyed the city of Lisbon. Churches collapsed upon thousands of worshippers celebrating the holy day. Earthquakes in Human History tells the story of that calamity and other epic earthquakes. The authors, Jelle Zeilinga de Boer and Donald Theodore Sanders, recapture the power of their previous book, Volcanoes in Human History. They vividly explain the geological processes responsible for earthquakes, and they describe how these events have had long-lasting aftereffects on human societies and cultures. Their accounts are enlivened with quotations from contemporary literature and from later reports. In the chaos following the Lisbon quake, government and church leaders vied for control. The Marquês de Pombal rose to power and became a virtual dictator. As a result, the Roman Catholic Jesuit Order lost much of its influence in Portugal. Voltaire wrote his satirical work Candide to refute the philosophy of "optimism," the belief that God had created a perfect world. And the 1755 earthquake sparked the search for a scientific understanding of natural disasters. Ranging from an examination of temblors mentioned in the Bible, to a richly detailed account of the 1906 catastrophe in San Francisco, to Japan's Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, to the Peruvian earthquake in 1970 (the Western Hemisphere's greatest natural disaster), this book is an unequaled testament to a natural phenomenon that can be not only terrifying but also threatening to humankind's fragile existence, always at risk because of destructive powers beyond our control.

The Earthquake Observers

The Earthquake Observers
Author: Deborah R. Coen
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 358
Release: 2013
Genre: History
ISBN: 0226111814

Earthquakes have taught us much about our planet's hidden structure and the forces that have shaped it. This book explains how observing networks transformed an instant of panic and confusion into a field for scientific research, turning earthquakes into natural experiments at the nexus of the physical and human sciences.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes
Author: Kaye M. Shedlock
Publisher: Good Press
Total Pages: 41
Release: 2023-10-26
Genre: Science
ISBN:

The anthology 'Earthquakes' by Kaye M. Shedlock and L. C. Pakiser presents a seismic shift in the understanding and appreciation of these natural phenomena, weaving together a tapestry of narratives that explore the multifaceted impacts of earthquakes on the earth and human society. The collection spans a range of literary styles, from scientific discourse to personal narrative, encapsulating the broad spectrum of human experiences and scientific understanding related to earthquakes. Within this compendium, standout pieces explore the existential and physical ramifications of these events, making it a significant compilation for both its academic insight and literary merit. The contributing authors, under the guidance of editors Shedlock and Pakiser, bring forth their diverse backgrounds in seismology, geology, and environmental science, collectively presenting a compelling exploration of earthquakes. Their collective contributions situate the anthology at the confluence of various historical, cultural, and scientific movements, offering a panoramic view of earthquakes' role in shaping both the natural world and human culture. This convergence of expertise enhances the anthology's capacity to educate and enlighten its audience on the complexity of earthquakes. 'Earthquakes' is recommended for readers seeking to deepen their understanding of the geological forces that shape our world and the human experience within it. The anthology provides a unique opportunity to engage with the subject matter from multiple perspectives, enriched by the contributors' varied backgrounds and the editors' comprehensive approach. Through its educational value and the breadth of insights offered, this anthology invites readers into a meaningful dialogue with the authors, fostering a greater appreciation for the intricate relationship between the earth's natural processes and the fabric of human life.

Quakeland

Quakeland
Author: Kathryn Miles
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2017-08-29
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0698411463

A journey around the United States in search of the truth about the threat of earthquakes leads to spine-tingling discoveries, unnerving experts, and ultimately the kind of preparations that will actually help guide us through disasters. It’s a road trip full of surprises. Earthquakes. You need to worry about them only if you’re in San Francisco, right? Wrong. We have been making enormous changes to subterranean America, and Mother Earth, as always, has been making some of her own. . . . The consequences for our real estate, our civil engineering, and our communities will be huge because they will include earthquakes most of us do not expect and cannot imagine—at least not without reading Quakeland. Kathryn Miles descends into mines in the Northwest, dissects Mississippi levee engineering studies, uncovers the horrific risks of an earthquake in the Northeast, and interviews the seismologists, structual engineers, and emergency managers around the country who are addressing this ground shaking threat. As Miles relates, the era of human-induced earthquakes began in 1962 in Colorado after millions of gallons of chemical-weapon waste was pumped underground in the Rockies. More than 1,500 quakes over the following seven years resulted. The Department of Energy plans to dump spent nuclear rods in the same way. Evidence of fracking’s seismological impact continues to mount. . . . Humans as well as fault lines built our “quakeland”. What will happen when Memphis, home of FedEx's 1.5-million-packages-a-day hub, goes offline as a result of an earthquake along the unstable Reelfoot Fault? FEMA has estimated that a modest 7.0 magnitude quake (twenty of these happen per year around the world) along the Wasatch Fault under Salt Lake City would put a $33 billion dent in our economy. When the Fukushima reactor melted down, tens of thousands were displaced. If New York’s Indian Point nuclear power plant blows, ten million people will be displaced. How would that evacuation even begin? Kathryn Miles’ tour of our land is as fascinating and frightening as it is irresistibly compelling.

Human Induced Earthquakes, Naturally Triggered Seismicity, and Their Interactions

Human Induced Earthquakes, Naturally Triggered Seismicity, and Their Interactions
Author: Andres Peña Castro
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2021
Genre:
ISBN:

"Earthquakes have affected humanity for centuries. Nowdays, we know that earthquakes can interact with each other not only at short distances but also at distances as far as hundreds even thousands of kilometers. In a similar manner, industrial anthropogenic activities, such as injecting fluids underground, mining, and reservoir impoundment, are capable of interacting with pre-existing fault structures and triggering earthquakes with magnitudes as high as 5. This thesis aims to investigate such complex earthquake-earthquake interactions and human-earthquake interactions using observational approaches.First, I provide (Chapter 1) an introduction in the mechanisms of earthquake interactions and anthropogenic induced seismicity.Second, I study (Chapter 2) how the seismic waves from remote earthquakes with large magnitudes can trigger seismicity in Oklahoma (USA), where the occurrence of earthquakes has been linked withthe injection of water under the surface. Using statistical tests, I find that small stresses generated by the passage of seismic waves, are capable of triggering events in Oklahoma with some delay time.Third, I investigate (Chapter 3) a case of induced seismicity by hydraulic fracturing in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. Specifically, an earthquake with ML = 4:5 occurred on November 2018 inclose proximity to a horizontal injection well. The seismicity during the 20 day period surrounding the mainshock can be explained as a two step process: (i) fluid migration into the basement through afracture network or a nascent fault that trigger the large event, and (ii) the stress changes generated by the coseismic deformation of the mainshock trigger events at shallower depths close to the injectionwell.Motivated to study other types of induced seismicity different from the one examined in Chapter 3, I analyze a case of how underground coal mining in Germany, triggered seismic events (Chapter 4). Earthquakes in this area are low magnitude, but still felt by the population because they tend to occur at depths of 1 km or less. I find that earthquakes are generated by two main mechanisms: reactivation ofold fault structures and mine-collapse.Additionally, I compare (Chapter 5) three different earthquake detections methods using three test data sets in distinctive seismic zones in Canada: the Fort St. John area, the Charlevoix Seismic Zone, andthe Lower St. Lawrence Seismic Zone. Each of the seismic zones have different seismic background rates and inter-station distances that allow me to present improvements to the current catalog developed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). In some cases, I am able to double the number of events than the NRCan while other times the detections increase by nearly a factor of 10.Finally, I summarize (Chapter 6) final remarks and possible futurescopes about earthquake interactions"--

The Great Quake

The Great Quake
Author: Henry Fountain
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2017
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1101904062

On March 27, 1964, at 5-36 p.m., the biggest earthquake ever recorded in North America--and the second biggest ever in the world, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale--struck Alaska, devastating coastal towns and villages and killing more than 130 people in what was then a relatively sparsely populated region. In a riveting tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain, in his first trade book, re-creates the lives of the villagers and townspeople living in Chenega, Anchorage, and Valdez; describes the sheer beauty of the geology of the region, with its towering peaks and 20-mile-long glaciers; and reveals the impact of the quake on the towns, the buildings, and the lives of the inhabitants. George Plafker, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey with years of experience scouring the Alaskan wilderness, is asked to investigate the Prince William Sound region in the aftermath of the quake, to better understand its origins. His work confirmed the then controversial theory of plate tectonics that explained how and why such deadly quakes occur, and how we can plan for the next one.

Modern Earthquake Engineering

Modern Earthquake Engineering
Author: Junbo Jia
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 859
Release: 2016-10-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642318541

This book addresses applications of earthquake engineering for both offshore and land-based structures. It is self-contained as a reference work and covers a wide range of topics, including topics related to engineering seismology, geotechnical earthquake engineering, structural engineering, as well as special contents dedicated to design philosophy, determination of ground motions, shock waves, tsunamis, earthquake damage, seismic response of offshore and arctic structures, spatial varied ground motions, simplified and advanced seismic analysis methods, sudden subsidence of offshore platforms, tank liquid impacts during earthquakes, seismic resistance of non-structural elements, and various types of mitigation measures, etc. The target readership includes professionals in offshore and civil engineering, officials and regulators, as well as researchers and students in this field.