The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

by Christopher H. Scholz (Author) "Under the low temperature and pressure conditions of Earth's upper lithosphere, silicate rock responds to large strains by brittle fracture..." (more)
Key Phrases: San Andreas, Loma Prieta, Borah Peak (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Christopher Scholz's goal in The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting is to review our present understanding of earthquake and faulting processes based on work contributed by specialists from all of these disciplines. In doing so he hopes to partly remove communication barriers between the various groups of scientists. He does an admirable job on both counts." Science --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"This thick paperback is fun to read. It brings the reader a thorough and up-to-date overview of the field of faulting and earthquake mechanisms, with ample examples of the theory it explains." The Leading Edge

"Scholz has done the rock mechanics community a real service with this fine volume." Geophysics

"This text is well-illustrated and contains an exhaustive list of references." MCEER Info Service News

"Scholz provides an excellent, succinct discussion of seismic moment. It has extensive well-written descriptions of examples."
Jeffrey R. Keaton

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Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 2 edition (June 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521655404
• ISBN-13: 978-0521655408
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #740,791 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #53 in	Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Geology > Volcanology
  #89 in	Books > Science > Earth Sciences > Earthquakes & Volcanoes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Faultless book on faults?, September 2, 2003

By	kendall lopere (H-Town, Tx, USA) - See all my reviews

Christopher Scholz has written a welcome update to the classic 1990 edition of his book, and if you thought that Crustal Deformation was a field where nothing exciting happens, think again! Substantial chunks of the book have been re-written and re-organized to bring the text bang up-to-date with the cutting edge of tectonics and rock mechanics research.
The beauty of this book is that Scholz, along with his students and research associates, basically has been the cutting edge of research in this field for the past 30 years. The book therefore reads as a guide to the evolution of ideas and a personal memoir of scientific exploration, while allowing the reader to follow the same thought processes, and more fully understand what we currently think regarding these subjects.
The text is a monograph, quite different from the usual condescending tone found in textbooks, and can be understood and appreciated by readers of widely differing abilities, from interested laymen to fellow researchers. Thorough explanations are given for each topic, with examples taken from actual scientific papers, putting the reader in touch with the original papers, a glaring omission in many other textbooks. The language is never more complicated than it needs to be, and Scholz's straight-forward explanations and no-nonsense style make comprehension almost too easy, leaving the reader a real feeling that one has learned something at the end, which will come as a breath of fresh air to any student that has suffered through a horribly dull and irrelevent lecture, only to remain scratching their head at the end.
The book is a tribute to the intellect and longeivity of the man's career, blessed as he is with a happy knack for being proven "right" by the passing of time, and continuing accumulation of research results. A classic text, and again, a must-read for anyone with a desire to know more about the planet we live on.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible of Faulting, July 23, 2006

By	John E. Vidale "conventional Earth scientist" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Prof. Scholz of Columbia summarizes the science of rock mechanics.

This book is the easiest way to gain a first foothold in the physics of how faults behave. In fact, as far as I know, it may be the only way, short of attempting a PhD in geophysics. I've read it (and hope I remember at least a fraction of its contents), used it in class, and even given away a copy or two to students.

If only more scientists could write as well. As a side light, Chris has also written a book for the general reader on the excitement of discovering the tectonics of Africa, Fieldwork: A Geologist's Memoir of the Kalahari, which I highly recommend.