Natural Hazards and Disasters

Book Description

Written by a son-father team of prominent geologists, David and Donald Hyndman, NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS emphasizes earth and atmospheric hazards that appear suddenly or rapidly, without significant warning. The text further discusses ways to prevent or mitigate the damage caused by natural hazards, providing students with the latest scientific research related to these topics. "Case in Point" boxes generate discussion of individual cases to natural hazard processes and principles. The authors reinforce the need to become informed citizens and make educated living decisions. Students will find a balanced coverage of North American natural hazards, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. These hazards are illustrated using numerous four-color photos and diagrams.

Customer Reviews:

Essential Reading.......2006-09-17

After completing my BA degree in Psychology, I had decided to take other courses that were non-related to my field of study: one of them being an introductory Geology course concerning natural disasters. The text used in my class was, NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS, by Donald and David Hyndman.

The natural disasters course I took at school was excellent! It enhanced my knowledge about the Earth's processes, and the effects of man on nature. Major topics addressed in class included earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and meteor impacts. The text supplemented for this class was very user-friendly. It was well-organized and also well-written. There were many colorful pictures and figures that helped with the learning of fundamental concepts. A couple chapters I enjoyed in particular was the chapter, "Volcanoes: Materials, Hazards, and Eruptive Mechanisms," which concentrated mostly on the 1980 Mt. St. Helen eruption. The first page was a riveting documentation of that awful and fantastic event. Another interesting chapter focused on "Landslides And Other Downslope Movements," which included an excellent "Up Close" example about the reoccurring landslides in the small community of La Conchita, California. (Living in California, I know landslides are a big deal--not to mention earthquakes--and now wildfires!). Though La Conchita is an idyllic place to live--conveniently located along side the Pacific Ocean--it is also an extremely hazardous dwelling; this small community is situated below a very unstable hillside, which throughout history, has killed so many people.

For educational purposes, this very detailed and informative text serves as a great resource. Although a bit pricey, I believe it's well worth it! Everyone should read it. No matter where you live, a natural hazard exists. What the Hyndman's say is true: "we need to learn to live with natural events instead of trying to control them."

NOTE: There is an updated version of this text, which includes an exclusive chapter about Hurricane Katrina.

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Time for a New Edition
A Good Read on the Subject But Fairly Technical

Tsunami: The Underrated Hazard
Edward Bryant
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 052177599X

Book Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Time for a New Edition.......2005-03-29

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.

A Good Read on the Subject But Fairly Technical.......2002-04-18

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.

Book Description

The Economics of Natural Hazards, 2 Volume Set (International Library of Critical Writings in Economics)

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The Economics of Natural Hazards, 2 Volume Set (International Library of Critical Writings in Economics)

Manufacturer: Edward Elgar Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1840648155

Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk Reduction (Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research)

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Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk Reduction (Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792363906

Book Description

This volume contains selected and rigorously scrutinized presentations made at the Second International Conference on Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk Reduction held in Yerevan, Armenia, on 14-21 September 1998.
The 46 contributions from authors from over 20 countries provide an overview of the achievements and experiences of different countries in disaster reduction since 1988. These contributions are presented in the volume in three parts, namely Disaster Reduction, Earthquake Hazards, and Earthquake Engineering.
This book will help to shape the direction that international disaster prevention will take by identifying crucial program functions and essential institutional responsibilities in the field of disaster reduction after the IDNDR.
Audience: This volume contains valuable information for seismologists, geophysicists, earth scientists, engineers, architects, and psychologists interested in earthquake hazard and seismic risk research. It is also useful for authorities responsible for public safety and natural hazards mitigation plans, and for insurance companies.

Measuring Vulnerability to Natural Hazards: Towards Disaster Resilient Societies

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Measuring Vulnerability to Natural Hazards: Towards Disaster Resilient Societies

Manufacturer: United Nations University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters
Facing Hazards and Disasters: Understanding Human Dimensions
Disaster Resilience: An Integrated Approach
The Resilient City: How Modern Cities Recover from Disaster
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ASIN: 9280811355

Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes

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Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes
Edward A. Keller , and Robert H. Blodgett
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Exploring the Dynamic Earth: GIS Investigations for the Earth Sciences (with CD-ROM) (Gis Investigations for the Earth Sciences)
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Geologic Disasters Laboratory Manual

ASIN: 0130309575

Book Description

A book designed for readers interested in the environment, this is an excellent source for Earth science information about hazardous Earth processes which affect virtually everyone living on this planet. Interesting and well-written, this book includes broad coverage of many natural hazards, including earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding, landslides, coastal erosion, extreme weather, and wildfires. For those interested in a comprehensive book about our environment and the impact of natural hazardous processes; also useful as a reference work for science writers and editors.

Hazards, Vulnerability and Environmental Justice (Earthscan Risk and Society Series)

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Hazards, Vulnerability and Environmental Justice (Earthscan Risk and Society Series)
Susan L. Cutter
Manufacturer: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Shelter from the Storm: Repairing the National Emergency Management System after Hurricane Katrina (The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Series)
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Noxious New York: The Racial Politics of Urban Health and Environmental Justice (Urban and Industrial Environments)
Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster
After Disaster: Agenda Setting, Public Policy and Focusing Events (American Governance and Public Policy)

ASIN: 1844073114

Book Description

In a world of increasingly prominent hazards and disasters, from those with their genesis in natural events such as the South Asian tsunami, to human-induced atrocities and terrorist attacks, and the profound effects of climate change, this collection provides a timely assessment of these critical themes. Presenting the top selections from Susan L. Cutter’s twenty-five years of scholarship on hazards, vulnerability, and environmental justice, this collection brings together powerful and difficult-to-find literature, framed by a fresh introduction that maps out the terrain and draws out the salient themes and conclusions. This essential collection is ideal for academics and students studying hazards, risk, disasters, and environmental justice across a range of disciplines.

At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters

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A short review of "At risk : natural hazards"

At Risk: Natural Hazards, People's Vulnerability and Disasters
Ben Wisner
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and People
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The Resilient City: How Modern Cities Recover from Disaster

ASIN: 0415252164

Book Description

The term "natural disaster" is often used to refer to natural events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or floods. However, the phrase suggests an uncritical acceptance of a deeply engrained ideological and cultural myth. At Risk questions this myth and argues that extreme natural events are not disasters until a vulnerable group of people is exposed.
This new edition of At Risk confronts a further ten years of ever more expensive and deadly disasters since it was first published, and discusses disaster not as an aberration, but as a signal failure of mainstream development. Two analytical models are provided as tools for understanding vulnerability. One links remote and distant root causes to unsafe conditions in a progression of vulnerability. The other uses the concepts of access and livelihood to understand why some households are more vulnerable than others. The book then concludes with strategies to create a safer world.

Customer Reviews:

A short review of "At risk : natural hazards".......2004-08-08

The four authors of "At Risk, natural hazards, people's vulnerability, and disasters" (three from the UK, one from USA, active in the field of social and development studies) claim that natural disasters are not only caused by the natural environment, but also (or maybe even more) by the social, political and economic environment. It is shown throughout the book when they concentrate on the various hazard types: floods, coastal storms, earthquakes, landslides, vulcanoes, biological hazards and famine. They consistently use a flow diagram describing the framework of the root causes, dynamic pressures, unsafe conditions (on the one side), the hazard (on the other side), and the disaster (in the middle).

The book describes 12 principles towards a safer environment. It cannot be made by technical measures alone. It should address the root causes by challeging any ideology, political or economic system which causes or increases vulnerability. It should reduce pressures by developing by macro forces such as urbanisation, re-afforestation, a.o. It should achieve safe conditions by protected environment, resilient local economy and public actions, such as disaster preparedness. Together with technical measures to reduce certain hazards (such as flood defences, shelter breaks, etc), it should all lead to a substantial reduction in disaster risk.

The book illustrates natural hazards from a social studies point of view, with striking observations, such as the bureaucratic blindness and biased relief assistance in South Carolina following hurricane Hugo in 1989 to the needs of many African Americans who lacked insurance and other support systems. The huge North Vietnam floods in 1971 only resulted in a few hundred deaths, largely because of a highly efficient wartime village-level organisation that allowed rapid evacuation and provision of first aid, whereas the similar 1970 Bangladesh floods killed a record 300,000 people.

Tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea 2000 B.C.-2000 A.D. (Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research)

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Tsunamis in the Mediterranean Sea 2000 B.C.-2000 A.D. (Advances in Natural and Technological Hazards Research)
Sergey L. Soloviev , Olga N. Solovieva , Chan N. Go , Khen S. Kim , and Nikolay A. Shchetnikov
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792365488

Book Description

This volume contains descriptions of about 300 tsunami and of similar known phenomena in the Mediterranean Sea. Earthquakes and other processes generating tsunami are also described. The intensity of tsunami waves is estimated, and the causes of tsunami generation are given together with the reliability of the information. The literary data are given on coordinates and magnitudes of tsunamigenic earthquakes. 18 zones of tsunami generation are identified, which have been subdivided into four groups according to the maximum intensity and periodicity.
Audience: The book should be of interest to seismologists, oceanographers, volcanologists, geographers, and specialists investigating natural hazards and their consequences.

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