Reviews (4)

Catastrophists Rejoice !
Steven Harris taken what might be thought of as pretty boring "science" stuff and written an exciting book about how unstable our stable, or at least what we percieve as stable, world can be. Students of geology might find some of this stuff "old hat" and Harris, rightly so, has targeted his book to the layman.

Focusing on the western United States, he presents a look at natural catastrophies from a geologic standpoint that have happened (focusing on recent geological past events) and how these events could (and eventually will) create chaos to us more recent earth residents. Many readers are probably familiar with the major earthquake danger in California; however, I venture that most are unaware of the types of volcanic dangers presented in this book (and you thought the only real dangers in Yellowstone National Park were bears and RVs).

My only complaints have to do with a lack of good editing. Drawing on such a large bibliography of peer-reviewed scientific literature, one wishes that Harris would have borrowed more of the rigorious editing that is a staple of the science. The chapters of the book read somewhat like individual articles with repetition of some facts (almost verbatum) in almost every chapter (no real "flow" from chapter to chapter). Ditto some of the illustrations. Several of the maps were presented without scales and captions on some illustrations were confusing. With a good re-edit my rating would be 4-stars.

chaos: note that word
This highly informative book tends to undermine one's preconceptions of slow geologic processes. It turns out, that geologic change may also proceed quite quickly. Fun to read.

Mountain Press of Missoula publishes so many fine geology books (including the Roadside Geology series). However, this particular book of Stephen Harris raises exciting theoretical considerations.

If you like volcanoes, you must own this book; I am not giving you a choice.

nice
I may not be majoring in geology, but I found this book to be an excellant read. I was suprised by some of the information that was presented in this book.

Informative book on geological events for the US.
Mr. Harris covers it all in this book. From earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods. One learns much about how much has happened here in the US, and what could happen next. Good coverage on the earthquake threat. The volcano information is pretty much the same from his earlier book "Fire Mountains Of The West." But new information on why there is so much lava in the Pacific Northwest may surprise you. Just as reading about the great floods that hit out west during the ice age. I like this book, and recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

What causes an earthquake? When will another big shock shake Tokyo or Los Angeles? Can people create deserts? How are the ozone layer and the greenhouse effect interlinked? Is global warming a force of nature—or of man? This compelling and informative book, illustrated with marvelous photographs and specially commissioned artwork, explains the latest scientific insights into these questions. Each force of nature is separately fitted into the jigsaw puzzle of global environmental change. The revised edition of this widely praised book draws on the dramatic evidence of recent years to evaluate the state of the planet—and man's effect on it—in the new century. 275 illustrations, 135 in color. ... Read more

Book Description

Seismic waves--generated both by natural earthquakes and by man-made sources--have produced an enormous amount of information about the Earth's interior. In classical seismology, the earth is modeled as a sequence of uniform horizontal layers (or spherical shells) having different elastic properties and one determines these properties from travel times and dispersion of seismic waves. The Earth, however, is not made of horizontally uniform layers, and classic seismic methods can take large-scale inhomogeneities into account. Smaller-scale hetereogeneities, on the other hand, require other methods. Observations of continuous wave trains, known as coda waves, that follow direct S waves have shown that there are heterogeneities having random sizes scattered randomly throughout the Earth's lithosphere. This book focuses on recent developments in the area of seismic wave propagation and scattering through the randomly heterogeneous structure of the Earth, with emphasis on the lithosphere. The presentation combines information from many sources to present a coherent introduction to the theory of scattering in acoustic and elastic materials and includes analyses of observations using the theoretical methods developed.Written for advanced undergraduates or graduate students of geophysics or planetary sciences, this book should also be of interest to civil engineers, seismologists, acoustical engineers, and others interested in wave propagation through inhomogeneous elastic media. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Clear and quick information about earthquakes.
The California Traveler Series are an excellent group of small books that give you whatever you want to know about various aspects of California in a quick and painless way. The book on Earthquakes will let you know which part of the State is prone to rock and roll and which areas are immune from constantly changing landscape. The text and diagrams are excellent in clarifying the problem of earthquakes. ... Read more

Book Description

Just south of the Grand Canyon lies a range of volcanic mountains which includes the highest point in Arizona. For the first time, this book provides a popular look at the fiery origin of these volcanic features. With magnificent aerial photographs, original geologic illustrations, and detailed road logs to many of the key features, this book is an indispensable tool for the traveler, the educator, and all who are interested in the remarkable landscape of northern Arizona. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Volcanoes: what they are and how they work
Volcanoes are among the most interesting, awesome, and dangerous of geological phenomena. The also form many of the highest mountains we know-Olympus Mons on Mars, Mauna Kea, Popocatepetl, Kilimanjaro and many others on Earth. In spite of this, the average person has only an imprecise idea of what volcanos are and how they work. Duffield's fine book comes to the rescue.

The book addresses specifically volcanoes to be found in northern Arizona, so includes many pages of road logs intended for the resident or visitor to the area, pleasant excursions whose purpose is to illustrate a wealth of volcanic features. The rest of the book, however, is invaluable to anyone interested in learning more about volcanoes anywhere. Even though Duffield is a professional volcanologist of considerable repute, he uses clear language pleasantly free of technical jargon and aimed at the non-specialist. The many illustrations are lucid and well done, and the wonderful photographs by Michael Collier are a splendid asset.

The person interested in learning about volcanoes won't go wrong with this fine book.

Exemplary popular-science writing & gorgeous photos
This book is a wonderful introduction to the San Francisco volcanic field, which created the high country around Flagstaff and the San Francisco Peaks, the highest mountains in Arizona. Duffield writes in a clear, direct style that's a pleasure to read. The book grew out of a long series of talks and lectures he's given around the Flagstaff - Grand Canyon area -- he quotes a fifth-grader who wrote a thank-you note for "being interesting and not boring," which is a nice capsule review of _Volcanoes_.

Although he's writing for a general audience, geologists who aren't intimately familiar with Northen Arizona will learn of some neat new discoveries -- such as the remarkable similarity between the Mt. St. Helens blowout and the Peaks' long-puzzling Inner Basin (p. 25). And that recent lava-dams on the Colorado River (near present-day Lava Falls) made lakes in Grand Canyon nearly half a mile deep!

And anyone with working eyes will be pleased with Michael Collier's splendid aerial photos -- if you're new to Collier, you will want to seek out his beautiful, large-format _Arizona : A View from Above_, which might be the best book of artistic air photos yet published (and which, sadly, is out of print).

An excellent and invaluable guide when sightseeing Flagstaff
This book covers it all. Accessible text describes in a concise, but not condescending manner, the history of volcanoes in the northern Arizona and Flagstaff area. Excellent, even striking photography. Fine maps and drawings accent the text. This book is suitable reading material for professionals, college students and tourists alike. And an indispensable reference when traveling and sightseeing around Flagstaff, Arizona.

Most people don't realize that Flagstaff is situated near these barely dormant volcanoes which last erupted less than 800 years ago! Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

This first title in the new RIEA Concepts series edited by Lebbeus Woods himself. Earthquake! explores the potential landscapes produced by architecture working in harmony with seismic forces to create new post-biblical relationships between the human and the natural. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

disappointed
A lack of description and unorganized thoghts clutter the undescriptive graphics leaving a viewer disorientated and wishing for more than graphics. The earlier books seem to have more direction and clearity ... Read more

Book Description

Volcanoes and the Environment is a comprehensive and accessible text incorporating contributions from some of the world's authorities in volcanology. This book is an indispensable guide for those interested in how volcanism affects our planet's environment. It spans a wide variety of topics from geology to climatology and ecology; it also considers the economic and social impacts of volcanic activity on humans. Topics covered include how volcanoes shape the environment, their effect on the geological cycle, atmosphere and climate, impacts on health of living on active volcanoes, volcanism and early life, effects of eruptions on plant and animal life, large eruptions and mass extinctions, and the impact of volcanic disasters on the economy. This book is intended for students and researchers interested in environmental change from the fields of earth and environmental science, geography, ecology and social science. It will also interest policy makers and professionals working on natural hazards. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The spectacular New Madrid Earthquake
This book was very informative about the New Madrid Earthquake. It had great detail about the earthquake and is a great resource for term papers. I would highly recommend this book to students who are doing papers for Earthscience courses with there main interest of the New Madrid Earthquake. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (7)

An excellent work for the layman
This is a book about geological hazards in the United States. The general focus is on the West Coast, if only because that is the most tectoncally active area. Some color plates, and a few black and white photos, are included, but the primary emphasis is on a well-written text. The book is highly readable and keeps one's attention throughout.

The authors begin their examination with a review of the Northwest, discussing both volcanic hazards and the lesser known, recently discovered, but far more dangerous hazard of a truly giant earthquake in that region. Every citizen of that part of the United States should carefully peruse this section.

Attention then turns to California and the San Andreas Fault. Author Sieh is a renowned expert on this transform fault, and thoroughly discusses the extensive research he and others have done on this peril. Again, as with the Northwest, this section is very highly recommended.

The earthquake hazards of the Great Basin and the volcanic hazards of Yellowstone are examined in detail, as are mid-continent earthquake problems in the central Mississippi valley. The book also looks at potential East Coast earthquake and tsunami hazards.

The authors use particular care in explaining geologic termnology in an understandable manner, and this is rare and impressive. Many books of this genre are deficient in that they either oversimplify the material at hand, leading to inaccuracies and potentially dangerous distortions, or by making geology appear so difficult that the reader with a non-scientific background becomes frustrated. The authors have carefully avoided either pitfall, and the book has profited though such care.

If you live in the United States, you should own and read this book. It may save your investments. or your life.

Excellent Book with Strong Focus on Southern California
One of the things that makes this book stand out is that its geology is up-to-date and detailed. I was a geology major back in the late 70s and while I decided not to go on in the field, I've kept up reasonably well. I learned a great deal of new info from this book, including the only coherent explanation I've ever read of the "hot spots" responsible for volcanoes like those in Hawaii.

The basic format of the book is of a west-to-east journey through the U.S., although Southern California (where co-author Sieh lives and works) gets by far the most detailed coverage. We get some vivid anecdotal accounts of earthquakes and eruptions, but the overall focus is more "what we think we know and why we think we know it." As another reviewer said, you must be interested enough in the subject to follow some reasonably complex logical arguments.

The color photos in the book are a valuable addition -- among other things, they made me realize that the oddly ramp-like block just south of Sunset Boulevard in LA is actually the scarp of the fault that has raised the Hollywood Hills.

The writing style is clear and approachable. All in all a very enjoyable read for folks with a serious interest in Earth Science.

Excellent
This book was very well written. It is a wonder to those whose know nothing about geology and those who have a passion for it. Even though those who know nothing about geology, those who know about it would enjoy this book much more.

Excellent book on earthquakes and volcanos
This is an excellent and easy-to-read summary of the exciting new research and thinking about earthquakes and volcanos. In particular, the chapters on the San Andreas and New Madrid fault systems were excellent. A great read.

Good, but don't expect McPhee
Sieh is an extremely good and well-respected geologist, and a fairly good writer as well. He is made better with the help of Levay. As a trained geologist, I have read a few of Sieh's papers, which are, naturally, written for scientists. The potential problem with this book is that it reads a little too much like a scientific paper.

This is not a problem if you are keenly interested in the subject, or have at least a minimal background in geology. There are several gripping accounts of various natural disasters as they occurred. However, don't expect this book to keep you on your toes with an abundance of engaging drama and wit.

Sieh and Levay have not deigned to dumb down the material. Expect a lot of facts and supporting data. To get the full benefit from this book, you will be forced to follow logical arguments and, at times, intricate lines of reasoning.

This is not a coffee table book with just a lot of pretty pictures (although there are several color plates). This book occupies a space on my bookshelf that I reserve for my favorite science books, and I'm happy to have read it. ... Read more

Book Description

This enthralling book describes fifteen of the most remarkable volcaniceruptions in history and, using rare firsthand accounts, analyzes their impact on thehumans in their paths. Alwyn Scarth surveys volcanic disasters from the violent eruptionof Vesuvius in 79 A.D. to the eruption of Montagne Pelée that killed 28,000 people inthree minutes, to the forest-razing eruption of Mt. Saint Helens in 1980. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent tour of varied volcanoes and landscapes
This is an excellent review of nearly all European volcanoes. The non-Ring of Fire volcanic provinces have received very little attention on a regional basis. This book fills a large gap in non-professorial texts/trade books on volcanoes and volcanology.

Volcanoes of Europe covers the volcanic provinces of Italy, Greece, the Canary Islands, the Azores, Iceland and Jan Mayen, and the dormant regions of France and Germany, in turn. Most photos are black and white, but an excellent section of color prints adorns the middle of the text. The photos are carefully chosen to demonstrate phenomena mentioned in the chapter.

The writing is ably done, and well-organized. The history of each volcano is meticulously researched, and accompanied by an excellent bibliography. As my lists will show, I have been a volcano freak for some years and I probably have 80+ books on the subject, some technical, many not. This is one of the best.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in volcanoes, regional geographers and geologists, and others who enjoy the study of our Earth and its processes. This book is a real keeper. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (4)

Good update, but illustrations are better in 3rd ed.
Well, the title says it -- I'm keeping my copy of the 3rd edition because the illos in the latest edition look soft and disturbingly unsharp. Maybe the publisher, having lost the original artwork for the 3rd edition, simply scanned a copy. Or maybe the quality got skimped when the work was made all-electronic. I don't know.

In any case, the content is fine.

Recommended: A very good book on Earthquakes.
This book provides a very good coverage on Earthquakes, from how and why they happen to their effects and safety concerns. You can learn about faults, plates, how earthquakes are sized, how much can be forecasted, how structures are affected, ground acceleration, soil conditions, etc. Though there are numerous examples from California, this is not one of those books which try to provide earthquake checklists to Californians. The level of technicality is one reason I recommend the book. You don't have to be a seismologist to understand the book, but you won't get bored if you are technically oriented. You will get a quantitative feel of concepts in addition to the clear explanations.

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.

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. ... Read more