Book Description

Mitigating the effects of earthquakes is crucial to bridge design. With chapters culled from the best-selling Bridge Engineering Handbook, this volume sets forth the principles and applications of seismic design, from the necessary geotechnical and dynamic analysis background to seismic isolation and energy dissipation, active control, and retrofit technology. In-depth discussions contributed by bridge and earthquake engineers from around the world cover the types and effects of earthquake damage and structural performance criteria. The book also includes an overview of seismic design practices in Japan, including a study of the damage to highway bridges caused by the Hyogo-ken Nanbu earthquake and the changes in retrofit practices precipitated by that earthquake. ... Read more

Book Description

Bridging the gap between introductory textbooks and advanced monographs, this book provides the necessary mathematical tools to tackle seismological problems and demonstrates how to apply them. Including student exercises, for which solutions are available on a dedicated website, it appeals to advanced undergraduate and graduate students. It is also a useful reference volume for researchers wishing to "brush up" on fundamentals before they study more advanced topics in seismology. ... Read more

Book Description

The most comprehensive guide to the hot springs of the northern Rockies, Touring Montana and Wyoming Hot Springs covers 55 of the region's best thermal soaking spots.Take a tour of the rustic resorts and undeveloped soaking pools in northwest Montana or the isolated hot water wells on the prairies of eastern Montana.Discover the high-mountain hot springs of western Wyoming and historic warm springs along the Oregon Trail.Touring Montana and Wyoming Hot Springs also provides the latest information on exploring hot springs in Yellowstone National Park.Learn about the hot thermal waterfalls of Boiling River in the northwest corner of the park as well as the hot water creeks in central and southwest Yellowstone.Author Jeff Birkby includes detailed information for each spring, including directions, easy-to-read maps, and fascinating histories.Both primitive and commercial hot springs are covered, providing something for everyone.Touring Montana and Wyoming Hot Spring is the perfect companion for hot springs enthusiasts and those looking for a unique vacation experience. ... Read more

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

Book Description

After every major earthquake, the Earth rings like a bell for several days. These free oscillations of the Earth and the related propagating body and surface waves are routinely detected at broad-band seismographic stations around the world. In this book, F. A. Dahlen and Jeroen Tromp present an advanced theoretical treatment of global seismology, describing the normal-mode, body-wave, and surface-wave methods employed in the determination of the Earth's three-dimensional internal structure and the source mechanisms of earthquakes. The authors provide a survey of both the history of global seismological research and the major theoretical and observational advances made in the past decade.

The book is divided into three parts. In the first, "Foundations," Dahlen and Tromp give an extensive introduction to continuum mechanics and discuss the representation of seismic sources and the free oscillations of a completely general Earth model. The resulting theory should provide the basis for future scientific discussions of the elastic-gravitational deformation of the Earth. The second part, "The Spherical Earth," is devoted to the free oscillations of a spherically symmetric Earth. In the third part, "The Aspherical Earth," the authors discuss methods of dealing with the Earth's three-dimensional heterogeneity. The book is concerned primarily with the forward problem of global seismology--detailing how synthetic seismograms and spectra may be calculated and interpreted.

As a long-needed unification of theories in global seismology, the book will be important to graduate students and to professional seismologists, geodynamicists, and geomagnetists, as well as to astronomers who study the free oscillations of the Sun and other stars.

Reviews (1)

Geology ROCKS!!! =) =) =)
I am an important professor at some university, and I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I used to think geology was a waste of time, but now I don't think so anymore.Because I read this book.This REALLY GOOD book.It's about the free oscillations of the Earth.If you don't know what that means, the earth freely oscillates, and that's what this book is about.These (free) oscillations are related to earthquakes.Well, I don't want to say too much because I'm afraid of spoiling the end of this classic book on free oscillations.But it's about earthquakes and it is SO good.So don't delay, do what I say, and buy this book right away today, okay? ... Read more

Book Description

Some of the greatest disasters in history were caused by volcanic eruptions. Apart from their immediate effects, which in some cases have altered the course of human civilization, large eruptions also have world-wide atmospheric effects, with implications for the global climate that are of increasing international concern. This book, gives a readable, straightforward account--much of it from first-hand experience--of the familiar violent aspects of volcanoes and the various forms that eruptions can take.The author also goes beyond the spectacular visible displays to explore why volcanoes exist, why they occur where they do, and how examples of major historical eruptions can be interpreted in terms of physical processes.Throughout he places volcanism in a planetary perspective, exploring the preeminent role of submarine volcanism on Earth and the stunning range of volcanic phenomena revealed by spacecraft exploration of the solar system. Students of geology, geography, and the environment, as well as the interested general reader, will find this richly illustrated book a stimulating source of expert information on one of nature's most dramatic phenomena. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Still the best book on volcanoes
Though I read quite a number of books on volcanism, I'd say, this is certainly the best (hard to believe, it is already 7 years old! and still mostly up-to-date). It covers virtually all important topics in a very clear way and should be understandable not only to the specialist but also to the educated layman. It contains certainly the best review of extraterrestrial volcanism I have read so far, though there are books specifically dedicated to that topic. 5 stars galore! ... Read more

Book Description

This in-depth quantitative assessment of seismic observations over the entire spectral range of recorded wave phenomena covers more than 160 years in the history of seismology. From first principles to modern developments, it presents a comprehensive, rigorous, and lucid account of the propagation of elastic waves in the earth. Well illustrated with figures, tables, and solved examples. 1981 ed. Preface. Seismology-Milestones of Progress. Appendixes. Author Index. Subject Index.
... Read more

Book Description

A group of distinguished scientists contributes to the foundations of a new discipline in Earth sciences:earthquake thermodynamics and thermodynamics of formation of the Earth's interior structures.The predictive powers of thermodynamics are so great that those aspiring to model earthquake and the Earth's interior will certainly wish to be able to use the theory.Thermodynamics is our only method of understanding and predicting the behavior of many environmental, atmospheric, and geological processes.The need for Earth scientists to develop a functional knowledge of thermodynamic concepts and methodology is therefore urgent.Sources of an entropy increase the dissipative and self-organizing systems driving the evolution and dynamics of the Universe and Earth through irreversible processes.The non-linear interactions lead to the formation of fractal structures.From the structural phase transformations the important interior boundaries emerge.

Non-linear interactions between the defects in solids lead the authors to develop the physics of continua with a dense distribution of defects.Disclinations and dislocations interact during a slow evolution as well as during rapid dynamic events, like earthquakes.Splitting the dynamic processes into the 2D fault done and 3D surrounding space brings a new tool for describing the slip nucleation and propagation along the earthquake faults.Seismic efficiency, rupture velocity, and complexity of seismic source zone are considered from different points of view, fracture band earthquake model is developed on the basis of thermodynamics of line defects, like dislocations.Earthquake thermodynamics offers us a microscopic model of earthquake sources.

Physics of defects helps the authors decscribe and explain a number of precursory phenomena caused by the buildup of stresses.Anomalies in electric polarization and electromagnetic radiation prior to earthquakes are considered from this point of view.Through the thermodynamic approach, the authors arrive at the fascinating question of posssibility of earthquake prediction.In general, the Earth is considered here as a multicomponent system.Transport phenomena as well as wave propagation and shock waves are considered in this system subjected also to chemical and phase transformations. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

You must enjoy this book.
This is one of the best books ever. Big red plus. KAREN sit down. Kenny be quiet. Howard be quiet. Chunche SIT DOWN.

Excellent research source
A well written, well researched, and brilliantly edited peice. I highly recommend this for all serious physics research courses that touch upon tectonics in any way, it's a fine specimen of a book

Very Enjoyable
This book is more enjoyable than triple integrals rotating like crazy!. I give it a big plus. Tony, this is too much; take your luggage and go.

Bravissimo
The best book on physics ever.It gave me great pleasure to read.Big Plus ... Read more

Book Description

The legend of the lost city of Atlantis has captivated the human imagination for centuries. Did this city actually exist, and, if so, what happened to it? Was it destroyed in the greatest cataclysmic event of the Bronze Age? While the truth behind the legend of Atlantis may never be known, Fire in the Sea tells the story of one of the largest and most devastating natural disasters of classical history that may also hold vital clues to the possible existence and fate of the lost city. In vivid prose, author Walter L. Friedrich describes the eruption of the Greek island of Santorini, or Thera, sometime in the 17th or 16th century BC. This eruption, perhaps one of the largest explosions ever witnessed by humankind, sent a giant cloud of volcanic ash into the air that eventually covered settlements on the island. Friedrich relates how this event forever altered the course of civilization in the region, and inspired a mystery that has fired humanity's imagination ever since.More than 160 elegant, full-color photographs and vivid prose capture the beauty, the geology, archaeology, history, peoples and environmental setting of Santorini. Fire in the Sea will readily appeal to the general reader interested in natural catastrophies as well as the beauty of the region.It will also enchant anyone who has ever dreamt about uncovering the mystery of the legend of Atlantis. Walter Friedrich is currently an associate professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark.He has visited Santorini at least 35 times since 1975 and has published numerous scientific articles in such international journals as Nature, Lethaia, Spektrum der Wissenschaft, and other publications. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Clarification: Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.
The first customer review's comment on Mount St. Helens requires a correction. Mount St. Helens erupted in May 1980, well before this book was written.

Ash particles from this 1980 eruption in Washington State's Cascade Mountains were thrown high enough to be caught up in the jet stream and deposited in a fine-grained plume that extended all the way around the world. This prompted publication of tongue-in-cheek picture postcards that proclaimed, "Don't come to Washington: Washington will come to you!"

But since the book was originally published in Germany, the authors may be forgiven for expecting comparisons with Stromboli and Vesuvius to have more interest for their target audience. An Indonesian author of a similar book might well have focused on comparisons with Krakatoa.

An approachable discourse on the subject
It was truly an exciting experience which found me capering about loose scoria ridges looming over the still fuming caldera several feet about the beach; I felt quite daring, especially as I am extremely afraid of heights! I learned a lot that I had missed by dropping out of my degree program prior to going on my summer field camp. There were examples of debris flows, unconformities, erosional channels, wind formations, faulting, uplift of sea bed strata with fossiliferous deposits, all an education in themselves. I also learned that hours on end in the hot sun plotting individual grains of rock for size, shape, color, angularity, and inclination is not my cup of tea. It makes a great summer vacation for the enthusiastic amateur, but I couldn't imagine it as a permanent, full time job. I decided I had missed nothing by remaining a nurse, and looked forward to a publication of results that I could enjoy in the quiet of my own home!

Just such a report has since be published (2000). I had the great good fortune to discover Walter L. Friedrich's volume Fire in the Sea while browsing the various Amazon links from another book on geology. Although it's not an in depth geological or archaeological survey of the research on the island, it is an excellent compendium for the page length of what is known about it with respect to these two topics. Above all it is an approachable discourse on the tectonic history of Santorini, both ancient and modern. There are wonderful photos of the various vistas around the island-many of which I recognized from my own visit there--and several maps that show the development of the site through time. Reports of volcanism and earthquake activity through the ages are included from earlier authors that give an almost biographical character to the story of Santorini or ancient Thera, and there are several illustrations of Minoan art work that help recreate the character of the island prior to the eruption for which the volcano is most noted and often cited, that during Minoan times ca. 1700 BC. At the end of the book in Appendix 1, the author has included one of Plato's Dialogs discussing the ancient tale of Atlantis with which the island has been linked by a number of researchers.

I found the book to be an excellent discourse on the geology of the island but was a little disappointed in that there was so little about the archaeological site of Akrotiri, especially as geologists-including Dr. Floyd McCoy, with whom I worked and who is mentioned in the volume-have been very helpful in illuminating some of the events of the city's last moments. The excavation site is fascinating, as the structures are preserved in places up to second stories. The faulted stair case (p. 70) is included and is one of the most emotive sights in the devestated city, but a more thorough discussion of the site and what is believed to have occurred there during the eruption that ended its life is a very stirring tale, one that could have lent a greater sense of the moment to the reader. It would also illustrate how the activities of archaeology and geology are integrated to generate productive results. Although the author discusses in brief some of the concerns of the modern inhabitants of the island, I would also have enjoyed more photos of the modern towns in the area, since I suspect they are very like those that have existed on the island since antiquity. A discussion of their own history and likely future would have added a sense of continuity to the tale of Santorini

An outstanding, informative account for geology students.
This in-depth survey of the Santorini volcano's natural history and its connections to the Atlantis legend will hold special appeal for students of volcanism and geology: Fire in the Sea is packed with color photos of the volcano, relics, excavations, and maps; and it includes in-depth discussions of volcanism in general. An outstanding, involving account for the dedicated student of geology.

A Bronze Age Blast
This is a lucid and informative book for both ancient history buffs and those interested in volcanos. The book discusses the Santorini volcano system is detail, and outlines the history of eruptions from the remote past to the present day. The greatest emphasis is on the eruption of 1640 B.C., one of the most violent volcanic explosions of all time.

The text, maps and drawings are excellent, and the author presents not only what we know about the Santorini volcano, but how the scientific conclusions evolved and what the evidence is behind them. The book was published in Germany in 1994, which means that the eruption of Mt. St. Helens had not yet occurred when the book was written. Too bad -- that would have been an excellent example for the author to compare to Santorini.

As a bonus, the cover, the paper quality, printing and photos are all superior to those in most hardback books available today. ... Read more

Book Description

This textbook for upper division undergraduates and graduate students provides the ideal introduction to seismology. A student-friendly text fully details the fundamental concepts and includes a step-by-step development of the relevant mathematics. Beginning with clear examples of introductory topics such as one-dimensional problems and liquid media, the book goes on to cover most of the fundamental concepts in seismology. The author describes the application of seismology to the knowledge of the structure of the earth's interior and the origin and nature of earthquakes. Coverage includes seismic wave propagation, normal mode theory, ray theory approximation, body and surface waves, source mechanisms and kinematic and dynamic models. The book also contains appendices on useful mathematical tools and includes extensive problems that help students to understand the basic concepts in this area. ... Read more

Book Description

Those who survive major earthquakes often report the occurrence of mysterious phenomena beforehand — unusual animal and plant behavior, lightning, strange clouds and malfunctioning electrical appliances. In fact these stories are legendary the world over. But are they merely legends? Are the many people who report them just superstitious or suffering from over-active imaginations?

Earthquakes and Animals brings objective science to bear on these old legends. But this is not the suspect science associated with recent attempts to validate UFO sightings. The book places in front of the reader the simple laboratory evidence for the behaviour of animals, plants and objects when they are subjected to intense electromagnetic pulses. In many cases they behave in ways that have been recorded for centuries — and are still reported today — as earthquake-related.

Written for both the general public and scientists, Earthquakes and Animals demonstrates experimentally a physical basis for the old earthquake legends. It also adds tantalisingly to the science of earthquake prediction and cautiously suggests a legitimate new field of study — electromagnetic seismology. ... Read more

Book Description

This revised and thoroughly updated edition maintains and develops the two major themes of the first edition. First is the connection between fault and earthquake mechanics, including fault scaling laws, the nature of fault populations, and how these result from the processes of fault growth and interaction. Second is the central role of the rate-state friction laws in earthquake mechanics, which provide a unifying framework within which a wide range of faulting phenomena can be interpreted. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Faultless book on faults?
Christopher Scholz has written a welcome update to the classic 1990 edition of his book, and if you thought that Crustal Deformation was a field where nothing exciting happens, think again! Substantial chunks of the book have been re-written and re-organized to bring the text bang up-to-date with the cutting edge of tectonics and rock mechanics research.
The beauty of this book is that Scholz, along with his students and research associates, basically has been the cutting edge of research in this field for the past 30 years. The book therefore reads as a guide to the evolution of ideas and a personal memoir of scientific exploration, while allowing the reader to follow the same thought processes, and more fully understand what we currently think regarding these subjects.
The text is a monograph, quite different from the usual condescending tone found in textbooks, and can be understood and appreciated by readers of widely differing abilities, from interested laymen to fellow researchers. Thorough explanations are given for each topic, with examples taken from actual scientific papers, putting the reader in touch with the original papers, a glaring omission in many other textbooks. The language is never more complicated than it needs to be, and Scholz's straight-forward explanations and no-nonsense style make comprehension almost too easy, leaving the reader a real feeling that one has learned something at the end, which will come as a breath of fresh air to any student that has suffered through a horribly dull and irrelevent lecture, only to remain scratching their head at the end.
The book is a tribute to the intellect and longeivity of the man's career, blessed as he is with a happy knack for being proven "right" by the passing of time, and continuing accumulation of research results. A classic text, and again, a must-read for anyone with a desire to know more about the planet we live on. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very interesting and informative!
I found this book to be quite interesting and easy to read. It gives a detailed eye-witness account to the destruction caused by the series of earthquakes in the early 1800's. If you are looking for a technical book about the Rift Zone, this book is not for you because it does not go into much detail about the fault itself. However, it does tell of the relation of the current geology and how it was effected by the earthquakes. Generally, I found this book very enjoyable and I suggest it for anyone who is interested in the learning more about the potential hazards that lie below the Mississippi Valley. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume, derived from the 1999 International Tsunami Symposium, presents a unique look at the state of tsunami research at the end of the 20th century. It displays recent progress both in data recovery and reconstructions of historical tsunamis and in detail examination of recent disasters. It shows the tsunami community using both traditional methods of data gathering - searching archives and attempting to simulate past events - and integrating modern technologies - side-scan sonar, GPS, global communications, supercomputers - in the quest to understand tsunamis and improve mankind's ability to mitigate the disastrous consequences of these unpredictable and unstoppable events. It chronicles recent advances in mitigation efforts while illuminating the continuing need for increased efforts. The papers range from descriptive texts for the non-specialists to fairly technical discussions for those familiar with tsunami research.Audience: This book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students involved in natural hazards research, physical oceanography, seismology, environmental impact assessment and risk assessment. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the publication of the successful first edition of Earthquake Protection there have been 110 lethal earthquakes, killing 130 000 people; there have also been significant developments in the field of earthquake risk management, particularly in the modelling and analysis of risk for insurance and financial services. Furthermore, major earthquake disasters, such as the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California, the 1995 Kobe earthquake in Japan and the 1999 Kocaeli earthquake in Turkey have occurred. The experience and knowledge gained through these events have improved our understanding of how to manage, mitigate and work towards the prevention of similar catastrophes. The 1990s were in fact the costliest decade on record in terms of disaster management due to such seismic events, placing unprecedented pressure on the insurance industry in particular, and changing its view of earthquake protection.

Significantly revised and updated, this second edition continues to provide a comprehensive overview of how to reduce the impact of earthquakes on people and property, and implement best practice in managing the consequences of such disasters. It also includes significant coverage of the techniques of modelling earthquake catastrophe. Each chapter deals with a separate aspect of protection, and covers a wide range of economic and social conditions, drawing on the authors' considerable personal experience and with reference to real life examples.

Key features include:

• Recent event coverage

• Modern developments in the theory and practice of planning and engineering loss estimation techniques, along with new engineering techniques such as microzonation and hazard-mapping

• Historic buildings experience

• An entirely new chapter on 'Earthquakes and Finance'

Reviews (1)

Great book, bad price
Not too much to say, except that the book is very much overpriced. The book is probably worth a third of what it's selling for. If the price were lower, this book would definitely be on my bookshelf! ... Read more

Book Description

Active Tectonics is a carefully organized, easily understandable book. Extremely current throughout, this book thoroughly explores the effects of earthquakes and active tectonic systems on humans, geomorphic systems, and Earth's topography. Complete with numerous case studies in a variety of regions, the very latest advances in the field, separate quantitative techniques boxed sections, and a host of pedagogical aids.This comprehensive book focuses on new advances in the technology and new applications to geology and tectonics. Increased material on Quaternary chronology, including lichen chronology and micro stratigraphy of desert varnish. New studies, including research in the Olympic Mountains, Nepal, Australia, Taiwan, the Himalaya, and the New Madrid seismic zone of the central United States. New techniques such as cosmogenic surface-exposure dating, argon and helium geobarometry and geothermometry, regional hyposometric analysis using digital elevation models, geodetic positioning, and coupled geodynamical computer simulations of topographic evolution are covered. Covers a number of regions with case studies including: Alaska; Pacific Northwest; California; The basin and range; Midwest; and East Coast.Ideal for beginning readers in active tectonics, geomorphology and natural hazards. This book may also be of interest to city planners, seismic engineers, and other non-geologists. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

it is very nice
The book is inteligent for students and academics ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good intro to geology
In addition to earthquakes, much of this reference provides a review of the Earth's geological features such as rift valleys and continental drift.

Exceptionally Interesting
This book explained everything and more about the things I ever wanted to know about eaarthquakes. I've picked this book up for my research on eathquakes, and believe me this book had everything. The facts are well presented and the best part was that this book wasn't boring at like the other informative books. ... Read more

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

This radical revision of Professor Bullen's acclaimed and widely used text provides an introduction to modern seismological theory, with emphasis on both the physical models and the mathematical descriptions of earthquakes and their sources. The essential core of the earlier editions has been retained, particularly the tensor treatment of elasticity, seismic wave travel-time analysis and density in the Earth, although these parts of the text have been brought up to date and expanded. The new part of the book reflects on how the study of earthquakes, seismic waves and seismic risk has been broadened in the past two decades. Thus, this edition includes introductory theory of earthquake sources, seismic wave travel through complex geological zones and viscous and anisotropic media, vibrations of the whole Earth, strong-motion seismology and earthquake prediction and risk. There is an emphasis on statistical and numerical procedures and problems of resolution in inverse theory. Modern class exercises are to be found throughout. The book assumes some background in classical physics and mathematics, including simple differential equations, linear algebra and probability theory. It will be suitable for use in undergraduate courses in geophysics, applied mechanics and geotechnology and for graduate courses in seismology and earthquake engineering. In addition, it will serve as a reference text on seismological problems for professionals concerned with earthquakes, Earth structure and wave motion. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best summary of Seismology since Richter
Bullen and Bolt write a book which is small, but packed with information. This is a good reference book to carry with you in the field or to stock on your overcrowded shelf. ... Read more