"Why Study Natural Disasters? Natural disasters occur every day and affect the lives of millions of people each year. Many students have been affected by earthquakes or tornadoes or hurricanes or floods or landslides or wildfires or other events. They are interested in lectures that explain these processes, and lively discussions commonly ensue. During decades of teaching courses at San Diego State University, I found that students have an innate curiosity about "death and destruction"; they want to know why natural ...
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"Why Study Natural Disasters? Natural disasters occur every day and affect the lives of millions of people each year. Many students have been affected by earthquakes or tornadoes or hurricanes or floods or landslides or wildfires or other events. They are interested in lectures that explain these processes, and lively discussions commonly ensue. During decades of teaching courses at San Diego State University, I found that students have an innate curiosity about "death and destruction"; they want to know why natural disasters occur. Initiation of a Natural Disasters course led to skyrocketing enrollments that exceeded 5,000 students per year. Some of these experiences are described in a Journal of Geoscience Education article by Pat Abbott and Ernie Zebrowksi [v 46 (1998), pp. 471-75]. Themes and Approach This textbook focuses on explaining how the normal processes of the Earth concentrate their energies and deal heavy blows to humans and their structures. The following themes are interwoven throughout the book: Energy sources underlying disasters, Plate tectonics, Climate change, Earth processes operating in rock, water, and atmosphere, Significance of geologic time, Complexities of multiple variables operating simultaneously, Detailed and interesting case histories New to This Edition. Many of the Tables and Figures have been updated and more than 50 new ones have been added. Chapter 1: Extensive updating of all disaster and demographic data. Chapter 2: New maps of earthquake epicenters and ocean-floor ages. Expanded coverage of plumes versus hot spots"--
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I have the 2001 edition; the latest 2013 is currently beyond my mean$ to purcha$e, even from Alibris(!) So, I am making buying the 2011 edition.
My wife and I are F.E.M.A. trained instructors; we teach disaster preparedness in San Diego; we have expanded on some of the ideas in this book in our Powerpoint and classroom instruction.
Earthquakes, wildfires and floods are the areas we focus on; no matter where you live, I'll bet you have experienced some sort of disaster or emergency! Knowing how to prepare & care for yourself and your family before AND after the emergency extends far beyond the home front.
Most of us tend to believe that we and our family will be home when the next disaster strikes. In reality, we will be at work, school, on the highways, on vacation or even out of the country when disaster strikes. How will you provide for yourself for a minimum of 72 hours [most agencies say prepare for 7 days] away from your residence? What will be your first thought?
"My family", of course! Yet is your family prepared; do they know what to do and what to have ready for an emergency if your not at home? Your spouse? Your children? Are you a care giver for someone in your home with "special needs" or perhaps a neighbor? Who will take care of them during an emergency, if you are not there?
This book details natural hazards everyone should be made aware of, regardless of where you live...and especially where you travel. Japan is arguably the most prepared country on the globe, when it comes to disaster preparedness, yet in the aftermath of the 2010 Sendai earthquake/tsunami, more than 19,000 citizens lost their lives.
Books like Prof. Abbott's series on "Natural Disasters" help us to understand and become aware of our ever-changing environment. He is an inestimable resource for which San Diego and the world should be forever be grateful...
