Deep time is the timescale of the geological events that have shaped our planet. Whilst so immense as to challenge human understanding, its evidence is nonetheless visible all around us. Through explanations of the latest research and over 200 fascinating images, Deep Time explores this evidence, from the visible layers in ancient rock to the hiss of static on the radio, and from fossilized shark's teeth to underwater forests. These relics of ancient epochs, many of which we can see and touch today, connect our present to the distant past and answer broader questions about our place in the timeline of the Earth. Charting 4.5 billion years of geological history, this is the story of our world, from its birth to the dawn of civilization.

This book presents an in-depth ethnographic case study carried out in the years following the 2010 Haiti earthquake to present the role of faith beliefs in disaster response. The earthquake is one of the most destructive on record, and the aftermath, including a cholera epidemic and ongoing humanitarian aid, has continued for years following the catastrophe. Based on dozens of interviews, this book gives primacy to survivors' narratives. It begins by laying out the Haitian context, before presenting an account of the earthquake from survivors' perspectives. It then explores in detail how the earthquake affected the religious, mainly Christian, faith of survivors and how religious faith influenced how they responded to, and are recovering from, the experience. The account is also informed by geoscience and the accompanying "complicating factors." Finally, the Haitian experience highlights the significant role that religious faith can play alongside other learned coping strategies in disaster response and recovery globally. This book contributes an important case study to an emerging literature in which the influence of both religion and narrative is being recognised. It will be of interest to scholars of any discipline concerned with disaster response, including practical theology, anthropology, psychology, geography, Caribbean studies and earth science. It will also provide a resource for non-governmental organisations.

The past few decades have witnessed remarkable growth in the application of passive seismic monitoring to address a range of problems in geoscience and engineering, from large-scale tectonic studies to environmental investigations. Passive seismic methods are increasingly being used for surveillance of massive, multi-stage hydraulic fracturing and development of enhanced geothermal systems. The theoretical framework and techniques used in this emerging area draw on various established fields, such as earthquake seismology, exploration geophysics and rock mechanics. Based on university and industry courses developed by the author, this book reviews all the relevant research and technology to provide an introduction to the principles and applications of passive seismic monitoring. It integrates up-to-date case studies and interactive online exercises, making it a comprehensive and accessible resource for advanced students and researchers in geophysics and engineering, as well as industry practitioners.

Volcanoes are some of the most dramatic expressions of the powerful tectonic forces at work in the Earth beneath our feet. But volcanism, a profoundly important feature of Earth, and indeed of other planets and moons too, encompasses much more than just volcanoes themselves. On a planetary scale, volcanism is an indispensable heat release mechanism, which on Earth allows the conditions for life. IIt releases gases into the atmosphere and produces enormous volumes of rock, and spectacular landscapes - landscapes which, during major eruptions, can be completely reshaped in a matter of hours. Through geological time volcanism has shaped both climate and biological evolution, and volcanoes can affect human life, too, for both good and ill. Yet, even after much study, some of the fundamental aspects of volcanicity remain mysterious. This Very Short Introduction takes the readers into the inferno of a racing pyroclastic current, and the heart of a moving lava flow, as understood through the latest scientific research. Exploring how volcanologists forensically decipher how volcanoes work, Michael Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz explain what we do (and don't) understood about the fundamental mechanisms of volcanism, and consider how volcanoes interact with other physical processes on the Earth, with life, and with human society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Over the years, the interactions between land, ocean, biosphere and atmosphere have increased, mainly due to population growth and anthropogenic activities, which have impacted the climate and weather conditions at local, regional and global scales. Thus, natural hazards related to climate changes have significantly impacted human life and health on different spatio-temporal scales and with socioeconomic bearings. To monitor and analyze natural hazards, satellite data have been widely used in recent years by many developed and developing countries. In an effort to better understand and characterize the various underlying processes influencing natural hazards, and to carry out related impact assessments, Natural Hazards: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Landslides, presents a synthesis of what leading scientists and other professionals know about the impacts and the challenges when coping with climate change. Combining reviews of theories and methods with analysis of case studies, the book gives readers research information and analyses on satellite geophysical data, radar imaging and integrated approaches. It focuses also on dust storms, coastal subsidence and remote sensing mapping. Some case studies explore the roles of remote sensing related to landslides and volcanoes. Overall, improved understanding of the processes leading to these hazardous events will help scientists predict their occurrence. Features Provides information on the physics and physical processes of natural hazards, their monitoring and the mapping of damages associated with these hazards Explains how natural hazards are strongly associated with coupling between land-ocean-atmosphere Includes a comprehensive overview of the role of remote sensing in natural hazards worldwide Examines risk assessment in urban areas through numerical modelling and geoinformation technologies Demonstrates how data analysis can be used to aid in prediction and management of natural hazards

This book assesses the 50 regional seismic networks funded by various federal, state, and private sources that operate autonomously in the United States. Most have aging equipment and suffer from declining sources of operating funds. Yet, they provide valuable scientific data as well as information about seismicity and earthquakes around their locales.
The volume describes the advent of the new National Seismic Network, operated by the U.S. Geological Survey. The National Seismic Network provides a unique opportunity to integrate the regional networks with the national network. This system will preserve the valuable work of the regional networks and enhance the capabilities of the national network.

Volcanic eruptions are the clear and dramatic expression of dynamic processes in planet Earth. The author, one of the most profound specialists in the field of volcanology, explains in a concise and easy to understand manner the basics and most recent findings in the field. Based on over 300 color figures and the model of plate tectonics the book offers an insight in the generation of magmas and the occurrence and origin of volcanoes. The analysis and description of volcanic structures is followed by process oriented chapters discussing the role of magmatic gases as well as explosive mechanisms and sedimentation of volcanic material. The final chapters deal with the forecast of eruptions and their influence on climate. Students and scientists of a broad range of fields will use this book as an interesting and attractive source of information.

This book represents a significant contribution to the area of earthquake data processing and to the development of region-specific magnitude correlations to create an up-to-date homogeneous earthquake catalogue that is uniform in magnitude scale. The book discusses seismicity analysis and estimation of seismicity parameters of a region at both finer and broader levels using different methodologies. The delineation and characterization of regional seismic source zones which requires reasonable observation and engineering judgement is another subject covered. Considering the complex seismotectonic composition of a region, use of numerous methodologies (DSHA and PSHA) in analyzing the seismic hazard using appropriate instruments such as the logic tree will be elaborated to explicitly account for epistemic uncertainties considering alternative models (for Source model, Mmax estimation and Ground motion prediction equations) to estimate the PGA value at bedrock level. Further, VS30 characterization based on the topographic gradient, to facilitate the development of surface level PGA maps using appropriate amplification factors, is discussed. Evaluation of probabilistic liquefaction potential is also explained in the book. Necessary backgrounds and contexts of the aforementioned topics are elaborated through a case study specific to India which features spatiotemporally varied and complex tectonics. The methodology and outcomes presented in this book will be beneficial to practising engineers and researchers working in the fields of seismology and geotechnical engineering in particular and to society in general.

In the first half of the twentieth century, when seismology was still in in its infancy, renowned geologist Bailey Willis faced off with fellow high-profile scientist Robert T. Hill in a debate with life-or-death consequences for the millions of people migrating west. Their conflict centered on a consequential question: Is southern California earthquake country? These entwined biographies of Hill and Willis offer a lively, accessible account of the ways that politics and financial interests influenced the development of earthquake science. During this period of debate, severe quakes in Santa Barbara (1925) and Long Beach (1933) caused scores of deaths and a significant amount of damage, offering turning points for scientific knowledge and mainstreaming the idea of earthquake safety. The Great Quake Debate sheds light on enduring questions surrounding the environmental hazards of our dynamic planet. What challenges face scientists bearing bad news in the public arena? How do we balance risk and the need to sustain communities and cities? And how well has California come to grips with its many faults?

This book places Oakland's public policy response (nine major ordinances) to building damage suffered in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in a full historical and intergovernmental context. Using a combined non-decision making and advocacy coalition approach, the book demonstrates how and why hazardous-structure abatement was kept off the local political agenda prior to the Loma Prieta disaster. The book then demonstrates how and why city government in Oakland became proactive on the problem of earthquake-damaged and, more importantly, earthquake-vulnerable buildings in general after the disaster.

Complexity of Seismic Time Series: Measurement and Application applies the tools of nonlinear dynamics to seismic analysis, allowing for the revelation of new details in micro-seismicity, new perspectives in seismic noise, and new tools for prediction of seismic events. The book summarizes both advances and applications in the field, thus meeting the needs of both fundamental and practical seismology. Merging the needs of the classical field and the very modern terms of complexity science, this book covers theory and its application to advanced nonlinear time series tools to investigate Earth's vibrations, making it a valuable tool for seismologists, hazard managers and engineers.

Earthquakes have taught us much about our planet's hidden structure and the forces that have shaped it. This knowledge rests not only on the recordings of seismographs, but also on the observations of eyewitnesses to destruction. During the nineteenth century, a scientific description of an earthquake was built of stories--stories from as many people in as many situations as possible. Sometimes their stories told of fear and devastation, sometimes of wonder and excitement.
In "The Earthquake Observers," Deborah R. Coen acquaints readers not only with the century's most eloquent seismic commentators, including Alexander von Humboldt, Charles Darwin, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Karl Kraus, Ernst Mach, John Muir, and William James, but also with countless other citizen-observers, many of whom were women. Coen explains how observing networks transformed an instant of panic and confusion into a field for scientific research, turning earthquakes into natural experiments at the nexus of the physical and human sciences. Seismology abandoned this project of citizen science with the introduction of the Richter Scale in the 1930s, only to revive it in the twenty-first century in the face of new hazards and uncertainties. "The Earthquake Observers" tells the history of this interrupted dialogue between scientists and citizens about living with environmental risk.

Shared Risk is an unparalleled study of how communities at risk respond to major hazards. This major new book explores the elastic boundary between structure and flexibility that enables modern organizations to function effectively under uncertain, dynamic conditions.

Through a comprehensive analysis of earthquake case studies, Louise Comfort shows how communities and organizations cope with dynamic and unpredicted events. Drawing upon the concept of shared risk, she examines the self-organizing processes by which communities act in their own interest to mitigate and reduce risk. Placing shared risk within a theoretical framework consistent with disaster situations, Professor Comfort presents policy-relevant analysis of disaster response systems.

The practical, theoretical and methodological issues involved in the study of shared risk are addressed in the first part of the book which also sets this problem in the global context of seismic risk. This is followed by comparative analysis of eleven different case studies of rapidly evolving response systems following earthquakes. The final part of the volume compares different classes of response systems and presents a preliminary model for a sociotechnical system to mitigate seismic risk and facilitate response when earthquakes occur.

Examining the relationship between information, action and theory and theories of organizational adaptation, this book will be applicable to a wide range of organizational change efforts, as well as being a strong and distinctive contribution to the literature on seismic policy and crisis management.

Every year that passes without a tsunami means that we're just that much closer to our next one. What can we do to ensure we're prepared when the next catastrophic tsunami strikes? The ferocious waves of a tsunami can travel across oceans at the speed of a jet airplane. They can kill families, destroy entire cultures, and even gut nations. To understand these beasts in our waters well enough to survive them, we must understand how they're created and learn from the past. In this book, tsunami specialists James Goff and Walter Dudley arm readers with everything they need to survive a tsunami - and maybe even avoid the next one. The book takes readers on a historical journey through some of the most devastating tsunamis in human history, some of the quirky ones, and even some that may not even be what most of us think of as tsunamis. Diving into personal and scientific stories of disasters,Tsunami pulls readers into the many ways these waves can be generated, ranging from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to explosions, landslides, and beyond. The book provides overviews of some of the great historical events - the 1755 Lisbon, 1946 Aleutian, 1960 Chile, and 2004 Indian Ocean tsunamis, but also some of the less well-known as well such as the 1958 Lituya Bay, 563 CE Lake Geneva, a 6,000 year old Papua New Guinean mystery, and even a 2.5 Million year old asteroid. This is not straight science, though. Each event is brought to life in a variety of ways through stories of survival, human folly, and echoes of past disasters etched in oral traditions and the environment. The book combines research from oceanography, biogeography, geology, history, archaeology and more, with data collected from over 400 survivor interviews. Alongside carefully selected images and the scientific measurements of these tsunamis, the book offers tales of survival, heroism, and tragic loss. Through a balanced combination of personal experience, the Earth's changing environment, tales of tragedy, and a recount of oral traditions, Tsunami allows readers to engage with a new scientific approach to these overwhelming waves. The resulting book unveils the science of disaster like never before.

Serendipity placed David Johnston on Mount St. Helens when the volcano rumbled to life in March 1980. Throughout that ominous spring, Johnston was part of a team that conducted scientific research that underpinned warnings about the mountain. Those warnings saved thousands of lives when the most devastating volcanic eruption in U.S. history blew apart Mount St. Helens, but killed Johnston on the ridge that now bears his name. Melanie Holmes tells the story of Johnston's journey from a nature-loving Boy Scout to a committed geologist. Blending science with personal detail, Holmes follows Johnston through encounters with Aleutian volcanoes, his work helping the Portuguese government assess the geothermal power of the Azores, and his dream job as a volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. Interviews and personal writings reveal what a friend called "the most unjaded person I ever met," an imperfect but kind, intelligent young scientist passionately in love with his life and work and determined to make a difference.

This essential reference for graduate students and researchers provides a unified treatment of earthquakes and faulting as two aspects of brittle tectonics at different timescales. The intimate connection between the two is manifested in their scaling laws and populations, which evolve from fracture growth and interactions between fractures. The connection between faults and the seismicity generated is governed by the rate and state dependent friction laws - producing distinctive seismic styles of faulting and a gamut of earthquake phenomena including aftershocks, afterslip, earthquake triggering, and slow slip events. The third edition of this classic treatise presents a wealth of new topics and new observations. These include slow earthquake phenomena; friction of phyllosilicates, and at high sliding velocities; fault structures; relative roles of strong and seismogenic versus weak and creeping faults; dynamic triggering of earthquakes; oceanic earthquakes; megathrust earthquakes in subduction zones; deep earthquakes; and new observations of earthquake precursory phenomena.

Tsunamis in the European-Mediterranean Region: From Historical Record to Risk Mitigation provides readers with a much needed, reliable, and up-to-date history of the region, including descriptions and parameters of the main events from pre-history to the present that are supported by parametric catalogues, pictorial material, and examples of instrumental records, such as tide-gauge records. The book presents a broader perspective of needed action for local and national governments, and international organizations, and is written by an internationally recognized expert in this field, providing an authoritative account of historical tsunamis in the eastern Mediterranean. It addresses key points of tsunami mitigation, including the systems currently available for tsunami recording, monitoring, and early warning, along with a presentation of the preventative measures that can be applied in all tsunami-vulnerable regions.

"Earthquakes and Coseismic Surface Faulting on the Iranian Plateau" is a comprehensive and well-illustrated multi-disciplinary research work that analyzes the human and physical aspects of the active faults and large-magnitude earthquakes since ancient times on the Iranian Plateau. The long-term historical, archaeological, and sociological record of earthquakes discussed here gives insight into earthquake magnitudes, recurrences, fault segmentation, clustering, and patterns of coseismic ruptures from prehistoric times to the present. The first part of the book examines oral traditions and literature of the region concerned with earthquakes, particularly in folklore, epic literature, and theology. The second part assesses dynamic phenomena associated with earthquakes, including active tectonics, archaeoseismicity, and coseismic surface faulting throughout the twentieth century.

This work is a valuable technical survey and an essential reference for understanding seismic hazard analysis and earthquake risk minimization in earthquake-prone developing and developed countries throughout the world.
Provides a reference for seismic hazard evaluation and analysis Covers data dealing with crustal deformations caused by earthquake faulting and folding since historic timesPresents unique and complete data for use in empirical relation analyses in all regions

This volume presents select papers presented at the 7th International Conference on Recent Advances in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Soil Dynamics. The papers discuss advances in the fields of soil dynamics and geotechnical earthquake engineering. Some of the themes include seismic risk assessment, engineering seismology, wave propagation, remote sensing applications for geohazards,engineering vibrations, etc. A strong emphasis is placed on connecting academic research and field practice, with many examples, case studies, best practices, and discussions on performance based design. This volume will be of interest to researchers and practicing engineers alike.

Ash produced as a consequence of explosive volcanic eruptions can cause multiple hazards both close to the volcano and at great distances. Explosive volcano eruptions often release volcanic plumes into the atmosphere, which consist of tephra (submillimeter-sized rock particles), water vapor and other gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Particles from volcano eruptions are transported by wind to thousands of kilometers away, or even over 10,000 km from their source for some fine particles. This book discusses the environmental impact and health risks volcanic ash poses as well as its chemical composition.

"Earthquake Hazard, Risk and Disasters" presents the latest scientific developments and reviews of research addressing seismic hazard and seismic risk, including causality rates, impacts on society, preparedness, insurance and mitigation. The current controversies in seismic hazard assessment and earthquake prediction are addressed from different points of view. Basic tools for understanding the seismic risk and to reduce it, like paleoseismology, remote sensing, and engineering are discussed.
Contains contributions from expert seismologists, geologists, engineers and geophysicists selected by a world-renowned editorial boardPresents the latest research on seismic hazard and risk assessment, economic impacts, fatality rates, and earthquake preparedness and mitigationIncludes numerous illustrations, maps, diagrams and tables addressing earthquake risk reductionFeatures new insights and reviews of earthquake prediction, forecasting and early warning, as well as basic tools to deal with earthquake risk

Hawaiian Volcanoes, From Source to Surface is the outcome of an AGU Chapman Conference held on the Island of Hawai'i in August 2012. As such, this monograph contains a diversity of research results that highlight the current understanding of how Hawaiian volcanoes work and point out fundamental questions requiring additional exploration. Volume highlights include: Studies that span a range of depths within Earth, from the deep mantle to the atmosphere Methods that cross the disciplines of geochemistry, geology, and geophysics to address issues of fundamental importance to Hawai'i's volcanoes Data for use in comparisons with other volcanoes, which can benefit from, and contribute to, a better understanding of Hawai'i Discussions of the current issues that need to be addressed for a better understanding of Hawaiian volcanism Hawaiian Volcanoes, From Source to Surface will be a valuable resource not only for researchers studying basaltic volcanism and scientists generally interested in volcanoes, but also students beginning their careers in geosciences. This volume will also be of great interest to igneous petrologists, geochemists, and geophysicists.

Authored by a geophysicist with more than 50 years of experience in research and instruction, "Reflection Seismology: Theory, Data Processing and Interpretation" provides a single source of foundational knowledge in reflection seismology principles and theory. Reflection seismology has a broad range of applications and is used primarily by the oil and gas industry to provide high-resolution maps and build a coherent geological story from maps of processed seismic reflections. Combined with seismic attribute analysis and other exploration geophysics tools, it aids geologists and geo-engineers in creating geological models of areas of exploration and extraction interest. Yet as important as reflection seismology is to the hydrocarbon industry, it s difficult to find a single source that synthesizes the topic without having to wade through numerous journal articles from a range of different publishers. This book is a one-stop source of reflection seismology theory, helping scientists navigates through the wealth of new data processing techniques that have emerged in recent years.
Provides geoscientists and geo-engineers with a theoretical framework for navigating the rapid emergence of new data processing techniquesPresents a single source of reflection seismology content instead of a scattering of disparate journal articlesFeatures more than 100 figures, illustrations, and working examples to aid the reader in retaining key conceptsArms geophysicists and geo-engineers with a solid foundation in seismic wave equation analysis and interpretation"

This book delivers the present state-of-the-art of scientific characteristics of the unique Ciomadul volcano (Romania, East-Central Europe) from as many aspects as possible.. Multidisciplinary research results obtained on this geologically young volcanic complex are presented to a wider audience (geologists, volcanologists, botanists, archaeologists, historians and teachers). Moreover, the book provides information at a general level for interested laypersons and decision-makers. The first part of the book, after summarizing the research history of Ciomadul, presents the details of the volcanism and related topics (volcanology, geology, landscape evolution, minerals, post-volcanic activity and spa culture) in eight chapters; the second part deals with the palaeo-environmental issues of the larger area, along with human history, in nine chapters.

The first work of its kind, "Volcanic Reservoirs in Petroleum Exploration" summarizes the current research and exploration techniques of volcanic reservoirs as a source of oil and gas. With a specific focus on the geological features and development characteristics of volcanic reservoirs in China, it presents a series of practical exploration and evaluation techniques based on this research. Authored by an award-winning petroleum geologist, it introduces exploration and outcome prediction techniques that can be used by scientists in any volcanic region worldwide.

Volcanic reservoirs as new sources of petroleum resources are a hot topic in petroleum exploration. Although volcanic rock cannot generate hydrocarbons, it can serve as a reservoir for hydrocarbons when conditions permit. This book explains the differences between volcanic reservoirs and other major reservoir types, and describes effective methods for examining volcanic distribution and predicting volcanic reservoirs, providing a framework for systematic studies throughout the world.
Includes an entire section dedicated to current trends in volcanic prediction and evaluation technologyMore than 90 full-color photos illustrate the text in greater detailCase studies conclude each chapter, helping scientists apply the book's concepts to real-life scenarios