Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard [Paperback]

Edward Bryant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2, 2001

In the past decade over ten major tsunami events have impacted on the world's coastlines, causing devastation and loss of life. Evidence for past great tsunami, or 'mega-tsunami', has also recently been discovered along apparently aseismic and protected coastlines. With a large proportion of the world's population living on the coastline, the threat from tsunami can not be ignored. This book comprehensively describes the nature and process of tsunami, outlines field evidence for detecting the presence of past events, and describes particular events linked to earthquakes, volcanoes, submarine landslides and meteorite impacts. While technical aspects are covered, much of the text can be read by anyone with a high school education. The book will appeal to students and researchers in geomorphology, earth and environmental science, and emergency planning, and will also be attractive for the general public interested in natural hazards and new developments in science.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'If tsunami do something for you, buy it.' Cariol Warcup, OUGS Journal

'... there is much to fascinate and stimulate anyone with an interest in one of the most awesome natural hazards that confronts us.' Terry Marsh, Weather

'... a fascinating book ...'. Holocene

Book Description

This book comprehensively describes the nature and process of tsunami, outlines field evidence for detecting past events, and describes particular events linked to earthquakes, volcanoes, submarine landslides and meteorite impacts. It will appeal to students and researchers, and will also be attractive for the general public interested in natural hazards.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052177599X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521775991
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,805,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read on the Subject But Fairly Technical, April 18, 2002

By 

Mark K. Mcdonough "Mark McDonough" (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard (Paperback)

In a lot of science books written for the general reader, the complaint is that the material is sensationalistic and over-simplified. Edward Bryant almost errs in the other direction. His evidence that very large Tsunami have played a key role in shaping many coastal regions is extremely well-presented and will contain lots of new information for even dedicated followers of Earth Science news.

On the other hand, while reading information about landscapes re-arranged by truly massive "mega-tsunami," one sometimes longs for livelier prose. The book may also be something of a slog now and then for people with no background in Earth Science.

I would recommend this book highly to anyone with a serious interest in the subject, and certainly to anyone who needs to consider tsunami from a policy-making point of view.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Time for a New Edition, March 29, 2005

By 

Christopher C. Burt (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard (Hardcover)

I purchased this book in 2004 for it's original retail price of US$27.95. Now I see used copies selling for more than $300 on amazon.com. This book is a terrific analysis of what we now know, as the sub-title 'The Underrated Hazard' suggests, an extraordinarily prescient work outlining the causes and historical occurences of one of the earth's more destructive natural phenomenon, tsunamis.

Please, CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, encourage Mr. Bryant to update this extraordinarily informative book with an analyse of the earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Source of Facts and Interesting Stories, April 3, 2011

By 

Peter - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard (Paperback)

This is an excellent text on Tsunamis and their cause, historical significance and impact on shorelines and everything in their way. Not too much technical information for the average interested reader but I presume (I am not a technically oriented reader) also an excellent source of technical data of interest to scientists.

A good source of a much ignored topic that has all of a sudden, unfortunately, become topical.