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5.0 out of 5 stars
History of Quakes, July 29, 2005
I have a baccalaureate degree in geology with an emphasis in paleontology, and although I have never actually used the degree, I enjoy reading about various aspects of geology. Earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis, all of which are interrelated phenomena, are particularly intriguing as they so often impact human society where ever they occur. Probably one of the most poetic and stirring artifacts of this very fact are the ancient footprints of two of what are believed by some to be our prehistoric ancestors, preserved in the ash of a volcanic eruption at Leotoli inTanzania, Africa.
De Boer and Sanders' book, Earthquakes in Human History goes a long way to pulling together the geology and sociology of various seismic events through recorded time. Without a doubt the frailty and vulnerability of the human being is graphically demonstrated in the face of these catastrophic events.
The authors begin by examining ancient literature for evidence of earthquakes and earthquake damage in human terms. They look to the authors of the Biblical narrative for evidence of seismic activity in the Levant, and it's effects on the course of history there. Although many of the stories they analyze are very likely to have seismic components irrespective of their ultimate cause, I think that some might well be attributable to volcanic explosions as well. Although not familiar with the geologic activity in the area beyond its part in the rifting activity in the Afar triangle in Africa, I believe that volcanoes are customarily associated with such rifts. Certainly they are in the mid-Atlantic system of which Iceland is a part and in the Rift Valley in Africa itself. Although the Levant/Dead Sea portion is considered a "failed" arm of the rifting system, it might still partake of volcanism. Whatever the cause, the geologic activity in the Levant had a major journalistic impact on the narrators that witnessed them, and on the redactors that structured the Bible as we know it today.
DeBoer and Sanders also discuss the various earthquakes and geological phenomena in the Greek world of the pre-classical and classical authors. Both the Trojan epics and the historic narratives of Herodotus and others are examined for the effects of geology on mankind and the course of history. Although they discuss several episodes, they missed my favorite, the massive tsunami that swept away a sizeable portion of the Persian land army when it was about to attack a coastal city-Potidea, as I recall. Seeing that the city was fortified everywhere but on the seaward side from which the sea was rapidly receding, the general determined to attack the city for that side. No sooner did he embark on the attack than a massive wave swept them all away.
The authors discuss modern era quakes in England, the southeastern colonial US-an area most of us would consider tectonically quiescent-San Francisico-everyone's favorite earthquake story--Peru, Chili, Nicaragua, and Japan. All these stories are placed into retrospective history with a discussion of the social and political events of the times, and how the earthquake derailed things one way or another. My guess is that most of the changes would have occurred anyway, they were just hurried along by the unexpected intercession of mother nature.
I was disappointed in that nothing was mentioned of China, whose quakes can be formidable and have caused some greater devestation by virtue of the fact that China achieved a denser population at an earlier stage of its historical career. It is also interesting, because a quake prediction that turned out correct, saved thousands, if not millions from death. Oh well, another book, perhaps.
The volume discusses the geologic aspects of each of these quakes as they are presented. I found it particularly interesting that some of the epicenters for very serious quakes, like that which occasioned the destruction of Lisbon and of San Francisco were actually located out at sea and far under ground. These of course also included tsunamis which sort of "topped" everything off and produced more widespread devastation. It was also interesting to note that the substrate of buildings, not just how they were constructed had a direct impact upon their capacity to survive the encounter.
That building codes are the key in earthquake prone areas seems abundantly apparent. Lloyd Wright's hotel in Tokyo was a brilliant case in point. The fact that most of the civil supports such as water, electricity, power, communication, emergency care and effective fire control can all be hampered or even prevented is of great concern, as most of the cities that have been hit in the past with such catastrophic effect, are still where they were and are now much more densely settled. The authors point out that many schools, hospitals and even nuclear plants have been built on the San Andreas Fault, despite the fact of the quake of 1906, and the very strong likelihood that it will rift again with a magnitude like that of 1906 or higher. It will certainly cause more damage.
This is a very interesting book. It is accessible to anyone who can read at grade 5 or above. Since the world seems to be sustaining a fair number of earthquakes recently in heavily populated areas with little or no quakeproofed buildings, it seems appropriate that the population of the world recognize the danger of unpreparedness and of disinterest. Furthermore, just because it doesn't occur in your own back yard, doesn't mean it doesn't have some kind of impact on you, as the authors occasionally point out.
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