The Earth in Turmoil: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Their Impact on Humankind

A million and a half people have died in the last century as a result of geological cataclysms--a small number compared to those who have died in storms, floods, or wars, to be sure, but still enough to give us a reasonable fear of the planet's unpredictable motions. In this handy primer, Sieh and Levay explore the scientific issues surrounding such matters as making buildings and roadways earthquake-tolerant, noting that the behavior of seismic energy cannot be reliably forecast "because the rupture is not a small focus of energy like a light bulb but an event that propagates across a large surface over an appreciable period of time." They also note that plenty of places besides California and Japan are due for quakes and volcanoes in the near future. --Gregory McNamee