Product Description

This text on earthquakes provides an explanation behind these deadly and destructive events, from geological faults to intensity patterns, side effects and protection of people and property. The fourth edition includes descriptions of earthquakes in highly-populated areas such as Kobe, Japan.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #915364 in Books
• Published on: 1999-08-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

Scientific concepts explained clearly.
This was a book in a long list of recommended preparatory reading for a second level Open University course.
The coverage is usefully broad, and scientific detail is not skimped. For instance, this book contains the best description I have found of the "beach ball" diagram for demonstrating earthquake moments. Other mathematical concepts are also well described.

If you only buy one earthquake book, this should be the one.
I spent a lot of time searching for a book explaining earthquakes that wasn't too simple or a text book. Bolt's book is more toward the textbook end of the scale, but is still quite readable. This is not a simple "what to do" book but an explanation of how quakes happen, how they cause damage, what we can do, etc.

The updated and expanded Fourth Edition just published
The new 4th edition has a new chapter on Plate Tectonics,recent earthquake descriptions,connections with Web pages,and colored illustrative plates.Fresh historical text has been included and more help with seismic safety.