Earthshaking Science : What We Know (and Don't Know) about Earthquakes

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Summary: Earthshaking Science
Review: Earthshaking Science: What We Know (and Don't Know) about Earthquakes written by Susan Elizabeth Hough os a book that tackles the issues at the forefront of modern seismology.

Although earthquarkes have been around for eons, the science of measuring the ground motion has been really around for a few decades. Most of the information about earthquakes has been excellerated by the improvements in earthquake recording capability. This book has a straight forward approach in describing what happens durning and the causal effects of what is entailed by a tectonic event.

This book on seismology addresses earthquake prediction, seismic hazard assessment along with ground motion, magnitude and how earthquakes start. I found this book to be very readable and understandable. Since the science of seismology is so new, not much information is available outside the technical journals, but now in this book the layperson can understand the dynamics of this science.

The book has only seven chapters, but each of them when finished will impart a knowledge of seismology to the reader that you could only piecemeal before. If you want to understand why earthquakes happen where they do, then this is your book.

This book is jargon-free and the author communicates very well to the reader about a complex science in terms that are easily understood. I recommend reading this book if you want to know why the earth shakes, raddles and rolls.

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Summary: I agree, except.....
Review: I agree with all of the above reviews of this book, Earthshaking Science: What We Know, and Don't Know, About Earthquakes by Susan Elizabeth Hough. It is an excellent summary of the many recent advances in seismology and is pertinent to all parts of the U.S. (even the world). However, I must strongly disagree that this book is "jargon-free." The book is loaded with the jargon of seismology (not as much as a seismology textbook). This is okay because in order to be scientifically literate, the public (especially the media!) must learn to understand some of the vocabulary of science. There are very few mathematical formulas in this book, but when they are used they are used effectively.
This book will be a fun read for people that have some scientific (especially earth sciences) background. Those with little or no science background will find this a challenging, but rewarding, read. Anyone living in earthquake-prone regions of the world must read this book.

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Summary: Rock And Roll!!!
Review: I live in Whittier, California and get to fill out "Did you feel it?" reports on the USGS web site several times a year. As a resident of the earthquake laboratory we call southern California, it's obvious that I should keep abreast of the latest news from the seismology labs. But what about folks in New York, NY? Or Memphis, TN? Or Charleston, SC? Earthquakes don't happen in the eastern United States...do they? Actually, not only do they happen in the eastern US, but a large earthquake in the eastern US today would probably make Loma Prieta or Northridge look like practice runs. Look around your neighborhood and the area where you work. Do you see any unreinforced brick buildings? If I have your attention and you're curious about the latest information about earthquakes, I highly recommend Susan Hough's Earthshaking Science.

Earthshaking Science is a tour to the edge of the scarp of what we do know [and what we'd like to know] about earthquakes. It is NOT a comprehensive guide to earthquakes and plate tectonics. If you're looking for the basic textbook version, try Earthquakes by Bruce Bolt or Living With Earthquakes In California by Robert Yeats. Hough takes off from the basic textbook knowledge of earthquakes and takes the reader to the edges of seismology. She covers everything from studies of ground response to the fledgling science of paleoseismology. She apologizes for a California focus, but she does quite a bit on earthquake dangers in other parts of the United States. I would recommend that potential readers have a basic background in science. If you dream of short term earthquake prediction, this book isn't the good news you've been looking for.

Whether you've read every book on earthquakes or you're a scientifically literate person who has little experience with seismology, I highly recommend Earthquaking Science by Susan Hough.