The Era of Great Disasters
The Era of Great Disasters

Author: Makoto Iokibe

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 2020-09-25

Total Pages: 277

ISBN-13: 047212725X

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The Era of Great Disasters examines modern disaster response in Japan, from the changing earthquake preparations and regulations, to immediate emergency procedures from the national, prefectural, and city levels, and finally the evolving efforts of rebuilding and preparing for the next great disaster in the hopes of minimizing their tragic effects. This book focuses on three major earthquakes from Japan’s modern history. The first is the 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake, which struck the capital region. The second is the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, affecting the area between Kobe and Osaka. The third is the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the magnitude 9.0 quake that struck off the Pacific coast of the Tōhoku region, causing a devastating tsunami and nuclear accident. While the events of (and around) each of these earthquakes are unique, Professor Iokibe brings his deep expertise and personal experience to each disaster, unveiling not only the disasters themselves but the humanity underneath. In each case, he gives attention and gratitude to those who labored to save lives and restore the communities affected, from the individuals on the scene to government officials and military personnel and emergency responders, in the hope that we might learn from the past and move forward with greater wisdom, knowledge, and common purpose.

New England Earthquakes
New England Earthquakes

Author: John E. Ebel

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-03-01

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1493031872

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New England and nearby areas in the United States and Canada have a long and storied history of earthquakes that goes back to the times of the earliest exploration and settlement of the region by Europeans. This may come as a surprise to the many people living in the region today who have never felt a local earthquake. Nevertheless, not only is it true, but there is every reason to believe that earthquakes, including some damaging earthquakes, will strike New England in the future. In fact, in the 1960s Boston, Massachusetts was given the same seismic hazard rating as Los Angeles, California because both had experienced strong earthquakes in their historic pasts. Since then seismologists have learned much about the rates at which earthquakes occur throughout the country and about the effects of the earthquakes when they occur. Today, we know that the probability of damaging earthquake shaking in Boston is about twenty-five times less than in Los Angeles. Even so, the threat of earthquakes in Boston, throughout New England, and in adjacent regions is one that cannot be ignored. From the 1638 so-called “Pilgrim’s Earthquake” to anticipating what the future may hold, John E. Ebel introduces you to the surprising history of earthquakes in the northeast corridor.

Historical Seismology
Historical Seismology

Author: Julien Fréchet

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-08-22

Total Pages: 445

ISBN-13: 1402082223

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Modern seismology has faced new challenges in the study of earthquakes and their physical characteristics. This volume is dedicated to the use of new approaches and presents a state-of-the-art in historical seismology. Selected historical and recent earthquakes are chosen to document and constrain related seismic parameters using updated methodologies in the macroseismic analysis, field observations of damage distribution and tectonic effects, and modelling of seismic waveforms.

The Great Quake
The Great Quake

Author: Henry Fountain

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)

Published: 2017

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 1101904062

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On March 27, 1964, at 5-36 p.m., the biggest earthquake ever recorded in North America--and the second biggest ever in the world, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale--struck Alaska, devastating coastal towns and villages and killing more than 130 people in what was then a relatively sparsely populated region. In a riveting tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain, in his first trade book, re-creates the lives of the villagers and townspeople living in Chenega, Anchorage, and Valdez; describes the sheer beauty of the geology of the region, with its towering peaks and 20-mile-long glaciers; and reveals the impact of the quake on the towns, the buildings, and the lives of the inhabitants. George Plafker, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey with years of experience scouring the Alaskan wilderness, is asked to investigate the Prince William Sound region in the aftermath of the quake, to better understand its origins. His work confirmed the then controversial theory of plate tectonics that explained how and why such deadly quakes occur, and how we can plan for the next one.