Unavailable
Unavailable
Unavailable
Ebook342 pages5 hours
Earthquake Storms: An Unauthorized Biography of the San Andreas Fault
By John Dvorak
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
A geologist explores the fault line that threatens disaster for millions in this “must-read for earthquake buffs—and West Coast residents” (Library Journal).
It’s a geological structure that spans almost the entire length of California. Dozens of major highways and interstates cross it. Scores of housing developments have been built over it. And its name has become so familiar that it’s now synonymous with the very concept of an earthquake.
Yet, to many of those who are affected by it, the San Andreas Fault is practically invisible and shrouded in mystery. For decades, scientists have warned that the fault is primed for a colossal quake. According to geophysicist John Dvorak, such a sudden shift of the Earth’s crust is inevitable—and may be a geologic necessity.
In Earthquake Storms, Dvorak explains the science behind the San Andreas Fault, a transient, evolving system that’s key to our understanding of worldwide seismic activity. He traces it from the redwood forests to the east edge of the Salton Sea, through two of the largest urban areas of the country: San Francisco and Los Angeles. Its network of subsidiary faults runs through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica, and the Hayward Fault slices the football stadium at the University of California in half. As he warns of peril, Dvorak lays out the worst-case scenario, which he believes is coming: an awakening of the fault leading to years of volatile “earthquake storms.”
Hailed by Booklist as “a fascinating look at what could be in store,” Dvorak’s comprehensive and accessible study will change the way you see the ground beneath your feet.
It’s a geological structure that spans almost the entire length of California. Dozens of major highways and interstates cross it. Scores of housing developments have been built over it. And its name has become so familiar that it’s now synonymous with the very concept of an earthquake.
Yet, to many of those who are affected by it, the San Andreas Fault is practically invisible and shrouded in mystery. For decades, scientists have warned that the fault is primed for a colossal quake. According to geophysicist John Dvorak, such a sudden shift of the Earth’s crust is inevitable—and may be a geologic necessity.
In Earthquake Storms, Dvorak explains the science behind the San Andreas Fault, a transient, evolving system that’s key to our understanding of worldwide seismic activity. He traces it from the redwood forests to the east edge of the Salton Sea, through two of the largest urban areas of the country: San Francisco and Los Angeles. Its network of subsidiary faults runs through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica, and the Hayward Fault slices the football stadium at the University of California in half. As he warns of peril, Dvorak lays out the worst-case scenario, which he believes is coming: an awakening of the fault leading to years of volatile “earthquake storms.”
Hailed by Booklist as “a fascinating look at what could be in store,” Dvorak’s comprehensive and accessible study will change the way you see the ground beneath your feet.
Unavailable
Author
John Dvorak
John Dvorak, PhD, has studied volcanoes and earthquakes around the world for the United States Geological Survey, first at Mount St. Helens in 1980, then a series of assignments in Hawaii, Italy, Indonesia, Central America and Alaska. In addition to dozens of papers published in scientific journals, Dvorak has written cover stories for Scientific American, Astronomy and Physics Today.
Read more from John Dvorak
How the Mountains Grew: A New Geological History of North America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mask of the Sun Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Last Volcano Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Earthquake Storms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to Earthquake Storms
Related ebooks
The Restless Northwest: A Geological Story Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Magnitude 8: Earthquakes and Life Along the San Andreas Fault Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Brief History of South Dakota Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCanadian History, Two Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dawn of Canadian History : A Chronicle of Aboriginal Canada Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSome History and Reminiscences of the San Luis Valley, Colorado: The United States in Microcosm Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Dawn of Canadian History: A Chronicle of Aboriginal Canada and the coming of the White Man Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGraveyard of the Pacific: Shipwreck and Survival on America’s Deadliest Waterway Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOn Shaky Ground: America's Earthquake Alert Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Surf, Sand, and Stone: How Waves, Earthquakes, and Other Forces Shape the Southern California Coast Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wonders of the Yellowstone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMaxim Gunn and the Stolen Waters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGigaFlood: The Largest of the Lake Missoula Floods In Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington Revised Second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Edge of Memory: Ancient Stories, Oral Tradition and the Post-Glacial World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mystic Mid-Region: The Deserts of the Southwest Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOregon's Greatest Natural Disasters Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMount St. Helens Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHard Rivers: The Untold Saga of La Salle: Expedition II Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Earthquakes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWorlds End Worlds Start Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSummary of Simon Winchester's A Crack in the Edge of the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMount St. Helens: The Rebirth of Mount St. Helens Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCruisin' the Fossil Coastline: The Travels of an Artist and a Scientist along the Shores of the Prehistoric Pacific Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Widow Wave: A True Courtroom Drama of Tragedy at Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Salton Sea: An Account of Harriman’s Fight with the Colorado River Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTraditional Witchcraft for the Seashore Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Attacking Ocean: The Past, Present, and Future of Rising Sea Levels Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Local Tribes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTuksook’s Story, 35,000 BC Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCanyons of the Colorado Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
United States History For You
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer: An Edgar Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A People's History of the United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Great Reset: And the War for the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the Remarkable American Life of a 109-Year-Old Man Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Man from the Train: The Solving of a Century-Old Serial Killer Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing the Guys Who Killed the Guy Who Killed Lincoln: A Nutty Story About Edwin Booth and Boston Corbett Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51776 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Right Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Kids: A National Book Award Winner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Earthquake Storms
Rating: 3.6666666666666665 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
3 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I received this ebook through Netgalley for an honest review.
Fascinating book about the history and science of seismology, centered around the San Andreas Fault in California. The book was very well-written, and the author is very adept at breaking down so pretty complex scientific terms into something laymen can understand. The insight about the various scientists and people involved was the most interesting part, tying their lives into the study of earthquakes around the world. The one chapter that didn't do that, chapter 11, was the hardest to understand: it was almost completely scientific jargon.
Two things would have brought my rating up to a 5-star. First, this book needs maps. The author is obviously familiar with the area, and his descriptions of what to look for on a specific street corner when facing a specific direction is great. But for readers that don't know the area or have never been to California, this is very hard to conceptualize. Second, the ebook edition had all of the pictures at the end. I think these would be better served located in the applicable chapters.
Overall, a satisfying study of the San Andreas Fault system. Recommended for anyone interested in the history, study, and science of seismology and earthquakes. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Thank you to Net Galley and Open Road Media for an ARC for an unbiased review!
Earthquake Storms is a brief look at the history of the San Andres fault in California. The book includes brief biographical details about major researchers, history of the faults oldest earthquakes, future earthquakes and the scientific tools used in the measurements of the daily life of the San Andres.
If you’re looking for a whistle blowing publication, you should look elsewhere. Dvorak develops facts based on scientific research and gives the reader a brief introduction into the academic world of earth sciences. The book only briefly touches upon future predictions, and even then, does not overestimate the magnitude or damage caused by the next big movement San Andres event.
It was refreshing to learn about the history of California’s interest in earth sciences: from the gold rush, to the modern day desire for earthquake warning systems. The book briefly explains Grover Gilbert, Harry Fielding Reid and the origin of the term “Richter Scale”. In the more fascinating portion of the book we learn about the breaking up of Pangaea, the development of today’s island rings, and the role of plate tectonics on the development of mountains, the sea bed floor and the coast lines. Everything an average reader would want to learn about our planet.
My only concern is the last chapter or two were very technical. I understood about 20% of Dvorak’s explanations and descriptions of the mineral deposits, rock formations and landscape. I have never been to California, much of the descriptions were confusing and not as useful to my understanding as a Californian native.
I would highly suggest this book to a person who has very little understanding of plate tectonics, and the history of earthquake research. The book covers all the basics in easy to understand lingo, and down to earth descriptions (no pun intended).