With the growth of modern computing power it has become possible to apply far more mathematics to real problems. This has led to the difficulty that many people who have been working in various jobs suddenly find themselves not understanding the modern processing which is being applied to their own professional field. It also means that the people presently being trained in these subjects need to understand a much wider range of mathe matics than in the past. It is to both of these groups that this book is addressed. The major objective is to present the reader with the basic mathematical understanding to follow the new developments in their own field. The mathematics in this book is based on the need to understand signal process ing. The modern work in this area is mathematically very sophisticated and our purpose is not to train professional mathematicians but to make far more of the literature accessible. Since this book is based on courses devised for Racal Geophysics there is clearly going to be a bias towards the applications in that area, as the title implies. It is also true that the bibliogra phy has been chosen in order to aid the reader in that field by pointing them in the direction of recent applications in geophysics."

Seismology in the sense of earthquake research is no longer exclusively a matter of earthquake recording and the analysis of seismograms. The tremendous progress in earth- quake dynamic research, the development of sophisticated technologies, the advent of the space age, and the call for reduction of the earthquake hazards and for disaster pre- vention programs have spurred interdisciplinary research to discover the earthquake generating processes. The progress in observing the physical phenomena of earthquake generating processes and the identification of earthquake precursors among these phe nomena have placed research on the field of predicting earthquakes on the solid basis of exact earth sciences. The measurement of the phenomena of slow-motion dynamics such as the move- ment of tectonic plates, the accumulation of strain, displacements observed in fault zones, and the temporal variations of physical rock properties fall into the domain of geodesists and geophysicists rather than seismologists. However, seismology in the broadest interpretation of earthquake research requires all observable phenomena of slow-motion dynamics in order to constrain models of focal mechanism and to penetrate deeper into earthquake source physics. Interdisciplinary research is on the way to open us new dimensions in earthquake and earthquake predic- tion research.

Volcanoes are intimately tied to the history of humanity, they help forge the Earth's crust and atmosphere, and they are very much an active feature of today. The archaeology of most ancient civilizations of Europe preserves the imprint of spectacular and volcanic phenomena while, in modern times life is still affected by large eruptions from Europe's active volcanic systems. The eruption of Santorini, some 3600 years ago in the Aegean, probably inspired the Greek fables of Atlantis; the eruptions of Etna on Sicily are the origin of the forges of Cyclops and other myths; and the regular eruptions from Stromboli earned its Roman name, 'the Lighthouse of the Mediterranean'. Eruptions in Iceland over the past few centuries have shaped more recent European history and highlight the dramatic effects that distant large eruptions can have on our modern way of living. This thoroughly revised and updated edition reflects modern research and is now illustrated in colour throughout. It presents the volcanoes of Europe, as they are today and tells how they have shaped our past. The volcanic systems of the Mediterranean basin, the Atlantic, and of mainland Europe are introduced and described in clear prose with a minimum of technical jargon. Some of Europe's ancient volcanic systems is also described as these have been fundamental in shaping the science of volcanology. The origins, history and development of Europe's volcanoes is presented against a background of their environmental aspects and contemporary activity. Special attention is given to the impact of volcanoes on the people who live on or around them. The book is written for student, amateur and professional earth scientists alike. To help guide the reader, a glossary of volcanic terms is included together with a vocabulary of volcanic terms used in European languages.

Neotectonics involves the study of the motions and deformations of the Earth's crust that are current or recent in geologic time. The Mediterranean region is one of the most important regions for neotectonics and related natural hazards. This volume focuses on the neotectonics of the Eastern Mediterranean region, which has experienced many major extensive earthquakes, including the devastating Izmit, Turkey earthquake on August 17, 1999. The event lasted for 37 seconds, killing around 17,000 people, injuring 44,000 people, and leaving approximately half a million people homeless. Since then, several North American, European, and Turkish research groups have studied the neotectonics and earthquake potential of the region using different geological and geophysical methods, including GPS studies, geodesy, and passive source seismology. Some results from their studies were presented in major North American and European geological meetings. This volume highlights the work involving the Eastern Mediterranean region, which has one of the world's longest and best studied active strike-slip (horizontal motion) faults: the east-west trending North Anatolian fault zone, which is very similar to the San Andreas fault in California. This volume features discussions of: Widespread applications in measuring plate motion that have strong implications in predicting natural disasters like earthquakes, both on a regional and a global scale Recent motions, particularly those produced by earthquakes, that provide insights on the physics of earthquake recurrence, the growth of mountains, orogenic movements, and seismic hazards Unique methodical approaches in collecting tectonophysical data, including field, seismic, experimental, computer-based, and theoretical approaches. Active Global Seismology is a valuable resource for geoscientists, particularly in the field of tectonophysics, geophysics, geodynamics, seismology, structural geology, environmental geology, and geoengineering. Read an interview with the editors to find out more: https: //eos.org/editors-vox/neotectonics-and-earthquake-forecasting

A thrilling journey to the planet's most extreme places with volcanologist and filmmaker Professor Clive Oppenheimer, revealing how volcanoes have shaped us and our planet.

Volcanoes mean so much more than threat and calamity. Like our parents, they've led whole lives before we get to know them.

We are made of the same stuff as the breath and cinders of volcanoes. They have long shaped the path of humanity, provoked pioneering explorations and fired up our imaginations. They are fertile ground for agriculture, art and spirituality, as well as scientific advances, and they act as time capsules, capturing the footprints of those who came before us.

World-renowned volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer has worked at the crater's edge in the wildest places on Earth, from remote peaks in the Sahara to mystical mountains in North Korea. His work reveals just how entangled volcanic activity is with our climate, economy, politics, culture and beliefs. From Antarctica to Italy, he paints volcanoes as otherworldly, magical places where our history is laid bare and where nature speaks to something deep within us.

Blending cultural history, science, myth and adventure, Mountains of Fire reminds us that, wherever we are on the planet, our stories are profoundly intertwined with volcanoes.

The present book - which is the second, and significantly extended, edition of the textbook originally published by Elsevier Science - emphasizes the interdependence of mathematical formulation and physical meaning in the description of seismic phenomena. Herein, we use aspects of continuum mechanics, wave theory and ray theory to explain phenomena resulting from the propagation of seismic waves.The book is divided into three main sections: Elastic Continua, Waves and Rays and Variational Formulation of Rays. There is also a fourth part, which consists of appendices.In Elastic Continua, we use continuum mechanics to describe the material through which seismic waves propagate, and to formulate a system of equations to study the behaviour of such a material. In Waves and Rays, we use these equations to identify the types of body waves propagating in elastic continua as well as to express their velocities and displacements in terms of the properties of these continua. To solve the equations of motion in anisotropic inhomogeneous continua, we invoke the concept of a ray. In Variational Formulation of Rays, we show that, in elastic continua, a ray is tantamount to a trajectory along which a seismic signal propagates in accordance with the variational principle of stationary traveltime. Consequently, many seismic problems in elastic continua can be conveniently formulated and solved using the calculus of variations. In the Appendices, we describe two mathematical concepts that are used in the book; namely, homogeneity of a function and Legendre's transformation. This section also contains a list of symbols.

By developing the scale that bears his name, Charles Richter not only invented the concept of magnitude as a measure of earthquake size, he turned himself into nothing less than a household word. He remains the only seismologist whose name anyone outside of narrow scientific circles would likely recognize. Yet few understand the Richter scale itself, and even fewer have ever understood the man. Drawing on the wealth of papers Richter left behind, as well as dozens of interviews with his family and colleagues, Susan Hough takes the reader deep into Richter's complex life story, setting it in the context of his family and interpersonal attachments, his academic career, and the history of seismology. Among his colleagues Richter was known as intensely private, passionately interested in earthquakes, and iconoclastic. He was an avid nudist, seismologists tell each other with a grin; he dabbled in poetry. He was a publicity hound, some suggest, and more famous than he deserved to be. But even his closest associates were unaware that he struggled to reconcile an intense and abiding need for artistic expression with his scientific interests, or that his apparently strained relationship with his wife was more unconventional but also stronger than they knew. Moreover, they never realized that his well-known foibles might even have been the consequence of a profound neurological disorder. In this biography, Susan Hough artfully interweaves the stories of Richter's life with the history of earthquake exploration and seismology. In doing so, she illuminates the world of earth science for the lay reader, much as Sylvia Nasar brought the world of mathematics alive in A Beautiful Mind.

Introducing Tectonics, Rock Structures and Mountain Belts is written to explain the key concepts of tectonics and rock structures to students and to the interested non-specialist, especially those without a strong mathematical background. The study and understanding of geological structures has traditionally been guided by the rigorous application of mathematics and physics but, in this book, Graham Park has avoided mathematical equations altogether and has reduced the geometry to the minimum necessary. The application of plate tectonic theory has revolutionised structural geology by giving the study of rock structures a context in which they can be explained. Since the large-scale movements of the plates ultimately control smaller-scale structures, the study of tectonics is the key to understanding the latter. The reader is thus introduced to large-scale Earth structure and the theory of plate tectonics before dealing with geological structures such as faults and folds. Studies by structural geologists of the movement history of rock masses relative to each other, as revealed by the study of fault systems and shear zones, has helped to integrate rock structures with plate tectonics and this has been emphasised in the book. One of the most exciting aspects of geology is the study of the great mountain ranges, orogenic belts. The final three chapters of the book explain how knowledge of plate tectonic theory, geological structures and the processes of deformation may be employed to understand these orogenic belts. hilst excessive use of terminology is avoided, all technical terms are in a Glossary and, as with all books in this series, the text is illustrated profusely.

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.

Intraplate earthquakes occur away from tectonic plate boundaries: their locations are difficult to predict, risking huge damage and loss of life. The 2001 Bhuj earthquake (featured in this book) was the largest intraplate earthquake for three decades and has provided unique insight into these events. This cutting-edge book brings together research from international leading experts in the field. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of these earthquakes in a different global location, ranging from Australia, China, India and the Sea of Japan, to Western Europe, Brazil, New Madrid (Central USA), and Eastern Canada. They explore similarities and differences between regional features and the mechanical models required to explain them, as well as assessing geophysical techniques used to investigate them. Providing the first global overview of intraplate earthquakes, this is an essential book for academic researchers and professionals in seismology, tectonics, tectonophysics, geodesy, structural geology, earthquake dynamics, geophysics, and structural engineering.

Seismoelectric coupling and its current and potential future applications The seismoelectric method--the naturally-occurring coupling of seismic waves to electromagnetic fields--can provide insight into important properties of porous media. With a variety of potential environmental and engineering uses, as well as larger scale applications such as earthquake detection and oil and gas exploration, it offers a number of advantages over conventional geophysical methods. Seismoelectric Exploration: Theory, Experiments, and Applications explores the coupling between poroelastic and electromagnetic disturbances, discussing laboratory experiments, numerical modeling techniques, recent theoretical developments, and field studies. Volume highlights include: Physics of the seismoelectric effect at the microscale Governing equations describing coupled seismo-electromagnetic fields Examples of successful seismoelectric field experiments in different geological settings Current and potential applications of seismoelectric coupling Noise removal techniques for seismoelectric field measurements The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

Earthquake occurrence modeling is a rapidly developing research area. This book deals with its critical issues, ranging from theoretical advances to practical applications. The introductory chapter outlines state-of-the-art earthquake modeling approaches based on stochastic models. Chapter 2 presents seismogenesis in association with the evolving stress field. Chapters 3 to 5 present earthquake occurrence modeling by means of hidden (semi-)Markov models and discuss associated characteristic measures and relative estimation aspects. Further comparisons, the most important results and our concluding remarks are provided in Chapters 6 and 7.

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.

This book is an introductory text to a range of numerical methods used today to simulate time-dependent processes in Earth science, physics, engineering, and many other fields. The physical problem of elastic wave propagation in 1D serves as a model system with which the various numerical methods are introduced and compared. The theoretical background is presented with substantial graphical material supporting the concepts. The results can be reproduced with the supplementary electronic material provided as python codes embedded in Jupyter notebooks. The book starts with a primer on the physics of elastic wave propagation, and a chapter on the fundamentals of parallel programming, computational grids, mesh generation, and hardware models. The core of the book is the presentation of numerical solutions of the wave equation with six different methods: 1) the finite-difference method; 2) the pseudospectral method (Fourier and Chebyshev); 3) the linear finite-element method; 4) the spectral-element method; 5) the finite-volume method; and 6) the discontinuous Galerkin method. Each chapter contains comprehension questions, theoretical, and programming exercises. The book closes with a discussion of domains of application and criteria for the choice of a specific numerical method, and the presentation of current challenges.

Over the past 150 years, people have flocked to the Pacific Northwest in increasing numbers, in part due to the region's beauty and one of its most exceptional features: volcanoes. This segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire has shaped not only the physical landscape of the region but also the psychological landscape, and with it the narratives we compose about ourselves. Exceptional Mountains is a cultural history of the Northwest volcanoes and the environmental impact of outdoor recreation in this region. It probes the relationship between these volcanoes and regional identity, particularly in the era of mass mountaineering and population growth in the Northwest. O. Alan Weltzien demonstrates how mountaineering is but one conspicuous example of the outdoor recreation industry's unrestricted and problematic growth. He explores the implications of our assumptions that there are no limits to our outdoor recreation habits and that access to the highest mountains should include amenities for affluent consumers. Each chapter probes the mountain-based regional ethos and the concomitant sense of privilege and entitlement from different vantages to illuminate the consumerist mind-set as a reductive-and deeply problematic-version of experience and identity in and around some of the nation's most striking mountains.

The scope of engineering seismology includes geotechnical site investigations for buildings and engineering infrastructures, such as dams, levees, bridges, and tunnels, landslide and active- fault investigations, seismic microzonation, and geophysical investigations of historic buildings. These projects require multidisciplinary participation by the geologist, geophysicist, and geotechnical and earthquake engineers. A key objective of this book (SEG Investigations in Geophysics Series No. 17) by OEz Yilmaz is to encourage the specialists from these disciplines to apply the seismic method to solve the many challenging engineering problems they face. The broader scope of engineering seismology also includes exploration of earth resources, including groundwater exploration, coal and mineral exploration, and geothermal exploration. While focusing on the application of the seismic method to geotechnical site investigations, this book includes many case studies in all of the applications of engineering seismology.

Capricious, vibrant, and volatile, Vesuvius has been and remains one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. In its rage, it has destroyed whole cities and buried thousands alive. In its calm, its ashes have fertilized the soil, providing for the people who have lived in its shadows. For over two millennia, the dynamic presence of this volcano has fascinated scientists, artists, writers, and thinkers, and inspired religious fervor, Roman architecture, and Western literature. In "Vesuvius," Alwyn Scarth draws from the latest research, classical and eyewitness accounts, and a diverse range of other sources to tell the riveting story of this spectacular natural phenomenon.

Scarth follows Vesuvius across time, examining the volcano's destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 A.D., its eruptions during the Counter-Reformation that were viewed as God's punishment of sinners, and the building of the world's first volcano observatory on Vesuvius in the 1840s. Scarth explores the volcano's current position overlooking a population of more than three million people and the complex attitudes maintained by the residents, at once reverent, protective, and fearful. He also considers the next major eruption of Vesuvius, which experts have indicated could be the most powerful since 1631. The longer Vesuvius remains dormant, the more violent its reawakening will be, and despite scientific advances for predicting when this might occur, more people are vulnerable than ever before.

Exploring this celebrated wonder from scientific, historical, and cultural perspectives, "Vesuvius" provides a colorful portrait of a formidable force of nature.

AVO (SEG Investigations in Geophysics No. 16) by Satinder Chopra and John Castagna begins with a brief discussion on the basics of seismic-wave propagation as it relates to AVO, followed by a discussion of the rock-physics foundation for AVO analysis including the use of Gassmann's equations and fluid substitution. Then, the early seismic observations and how they led to the birth of AVO analysis are presented. The various approximations for the Zoeppritz equations are examined, and the assumptions and limitations of each approximation are clearly identified. A section on the factors that affect seismic amplitudes and a discussion of the processing considerations important for AVO analysis are included. A subsequent section explores the various techniques used in AVO interpretation. Finally, topics including the influence of anisotropy in AVO analysis, the use of AVO inversion, estimation of uncertainty in AVO analysis, converted-wave AVO, and the future of the AVO method are discussed. Equally helpful to new entrants into the field as well as to seasoned workers, AVO will provide readers with the most up-to-date knowledge on amplitude variation with offset.

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

In December 2016, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists moved their iconic "Doomsday Clock" thirty seconds forward to two and a half minutes to midnight, the latest it has been set since 1952, the year of the first United States hydrogen bomb test. But a group of scientists-geologists, engineers, and physicists-has been fighting to turn back the clock. Since the dawn of the Cold War, they have advocated a halt to nuclear testing, their work culminating in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which still awaits ratification from China, Iran, North Korea-and the United States. The backbone of the treaty is every nation's ability to independently monitor the nuclear activity of the others. The noted seismologist Lynn R. Sykes, one of the central figures in the development of the science and technology used in monitoring, has dedicated his career to halting nuclear testing. In Silencing the Bomb, he tells the inside story behind scientists' quest for disarmament. Called upon time and again to testify before Congress and to inform the public, Sykes and his colleagues were, for much of the Cold War, among the only people on earth able to say with certainty when and where a bomb was tested and how large it was. Methods of measuring earthquakes, researchers realized, could also detect underground nuclear explosions. When politicians on both sides of the Iron Curtain attempted to sidestep disarmament or test ban treaties, Sykes was able to deploy the nascent science of plate tectonics to reveal the truth. Seismologists' discoveries helped bring about treaties limiting nuclear testing, but it was their activism that played a key role in the quest for peace. Full of intrigue, international politics, and hard science used for the global good, Silencing the Bomb is a timely and necessary chronicle of one scientist's efforts to keep the clock from striking midnight.

Arising from the 2020 Darwin College Lectures, this book presents eight essays from prominent public intellectuals on the theme of Enigmas. Each author examines this theme through the lens of their own particular area of expertise, together constituting an illuminating and diverse interdisciplinary volume. Enigmas features contributions by professor of physics Sean M. Carroll, author Jo Marchant, writer and broadcaster Adam Rutherford, professor of earth sciences Tamsin A. Mather, professor of the history of the book Erik Kwakkel, reader in cultural history Tiffany Watt Smith, mathematician and public speaker James Grime, assistant professor of positive AI J. Derek Lomas, and explorer Albert Y.- M. Lin. This volume will appeal to anyone fascinated by puzzles and mysteries, solved and unsolved.

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.

This volume contains papers of the 9th European Workshop on the Seismic Behaviour of Irregular and Complex Structures (9EWICS) held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2020. This workshop, organized at Instituto Superior Tecnico, University of Lisbon, continued the successful three-annual series of workshops started back in 1996. Its organization had the sponsorship of Working Group 8 (Seismic Behaviour of Irregular and Complex Structures) of the European Association of Earthquake Engineering.This international event provided a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas and unveiled new insights on the possibilities and challenges of irregular and complex structures under seismic actions. The topics addressed include criteria for regularity, seismic design of irregular structures, seismic assessment of irregular and complex structures, retrofit of irregular and complex structures, and soil-structure interaction for irregular and complex structures. Beyond an excellent number of interesting papers on these topics, this volume includes the papers of the two invited lectures - one devoted to irregularities in RC buildings, including perspectives in current seismic design codes, difficulties in their application and further research needs, and another one dedicated to the challenging and very up to date topic in the area of seismic response of masonry building aggregates in historical centers. This volume includes 26 contributions from authors of 11 countries, giving a complete and international view of the problem.The holds particular interest for all the community involved in the challenging task of seismic design, assessment and/or retrofit of irregular and complex structures.

Annals of natural disasters have always caused common interest. Scientists and specialists of various domains, teachers, students, post-graduates, journalists .. and merely inquisitive can find useful and didactic information in such annals~ Sad experience of the natural disasters endured gives very important material for humanity. It allows us not only to understand better the phenomenon itself, but also to prepare ourselves for future cataclysms, which our "Mother-Nature" is so rich in. The book by Sergey Soloviev and a group of his collaborators represents a detailed description of tsunami waves and accompanying phenomena in the Mediterranean Sea over a period of approximately four thousand years. Sergey Soloviev, the founder and recognised leader of the Russian scientific school of tsunami researchers, was unable to see the publication of this book, passing away on March 9, 1994. However, his ample experience in investigation and systematisation of tsunami waves for the Pacific area [Soloviev and Go, 1974, 1975; Soloviev, Go and Kim, 1986] has been widely used in compiling this book. The Mediterranean coasts are the cradle of civilisation. Written accounts of past disasters in this region of the Earth are rather numerous and highly reliable. Therefore the results of the tsunami study in the Mediterranean Sea are of specific value both for the scientific community and for humanity at large.

High pressure mineral physics is a field that has shaped our understanding of deep planetary interiors and revealed new material phenomena occurring at extreme conditions. Comprised of sixteen chapters written by well-established experts, this book covers recent advances in static and dynamic compression techniques and enhanced diagnostic capabilities, including synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction, spectroscopic measurements, in situ X-ray diffraction under dynamic loading, and multigrain crystallography at megabar pressures. Applications range from measuring equations of state, elasticity, and deformation of materials at high pressure, to high pressure synthesis, thermochemistry of high pressure phases, and new molecular compounds and superconductivity under extreme conditions. This book also introduces experimental geochemistry in the laser-heated diamond-anvil cell enabled by the focused ion beam technique for sample recovery and quantitative chemical analysis at submicron scale. Each chapter ends with an insightful perspective of future directions, making it an invaluable source for graduate students and researchers.