The Earth in Turmoil: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Their Impact on Humankind

Abstract

A common complaint among Earth scientists is that much of the public at least if undergraduates satisfying distribution requirements are any indication does not share our fascination with the Earth. However, we generally believe that if we could convey the essence of the Earth sciences, even the most jaded student driving toward an MBA (and BMW) could somehow be excited by the grandeur and elegance of the planets workings. Support for this (perhaps unduly) optimistic view can be found from Sieh and LeVays superb popular account of active tectonic processes. The book takes a virtual field trip across the United States, visiting sites including the Cascadia subduction zone, the San Andreas fault, the Long Valley caldera, the Basin and Range, New Madrid, and Hawaii. At each site, readers are treated to a vivid description of the visible features, an incisive explanation of the tectonics at work, and an entertaining account of how both scientists and local people have been affected.