Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis (Scientific American (Chelsea House))

Explores the underground causes of these natural disasters and shows how scientists seek to save lives through a greater understanding of Earth's geology.

a Mountain Explodes. The Earth Shakes. Powerful Ocean Waves Crash Into Coastlines. News Reports From Around The Globe Often Feature Stories About Such Dramatic And Destructive Events. In Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, And Tsunamis, Author Sean Mccollum Explores The Underground Causes Of These Natural Disasters And Explains How Scientists Seek To Save Lives Through Greater Understanding Of Earth's Wild And Restless Geology.

about The Author:
sean Mccollum A Writing Instructor At Front Range Community College In Colorado

children's Literature

part Of The Scientific American Series, Mccollum Writes About The Geological Events That Occur On Our Restless Planet. More Than That, He Writes With Immediacy That Makes Geology A Current Topic. The Ocean Wind Carried The Stink Of Rotten Eggs To The Iceland Coast. Sensitive Scientific Instruments Registered Small Earthquakes. The Icelanders Recognized The Signs: Somewhere A Volcano Was Spewing Gases And Preparing To Erupt. In Each Of His Chapters, Mccollum Offers Both The Scientific Explanations Of How And Why Volcanoes Erupt Or Earthquakes Occur, And The Effect That Those Events Have On The People Living Nearby. Sometimes The Event Is Catastrophic, As Was True With The December 2004 Tsunami That Hit Southeast Asia, But Some Events Are Predictable And The Toll On Human Life Can Be Mitigated. This Was True With The Eruption Of Mount St. Helens In 1980. In Addition To A Chapter Each On The Volcanoes, Earthquakes, And Tsunamis, Mccollum Writes About The Engineering Of Building Safer Cities In An Earthquake Zone, And The Science Of Predicting When Volcanoes Will Erupt, Or Tsunamis Will Strike. Illustrated With Diagrams And Photos Of Events, This Is A Book That Will Work Well For Reports And Non-fiction Readers Alike. Backmatter Includes Glossary, Bibliography, Further Resources, And Index. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen

Contents......Page 6 1: This Restless Planet......Page 8 2: Volcanic Eruptions......Page 19 3: Earthquakes......Page 32 4: Tsunamis......Page 42 5: Building for "The Big One"......Page 51 6: The Probability of Predicting Disaster......Page 60 Glossary......Page 74 Bibliography......Page 76 Further Exploration......Page 77 Index......Page 78 Picture Credits......Page 81 Explores the underground causes of natural disasters and shows how scientists seek to save lives through understanding of Earth's wild and restless geology.