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Earthquakes: Hazards and predictions

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Geophysics

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

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Following the great 1746 Lima, Peru, earthquake, a Jesuit priest, Lozano, described how Lima prior to the earthquake

had arrived at the acme of perfection of which a city of this New World was capable, for the sumptuousity of its buildings, the dwellings which adorned its well laid out streets, its beautiful fountains, the dignity of its churches, and the construction of the monasteries, which could well compete with the grandest works of its kind in the world. But all this. . .was reduced to dust in an instant. [Silgado, 1973, p. 191]

The above scene has been repeated numerous times in various locations, and underscores the basic human desire to understand, foretell, and possibly control earthquakes in an effort to minimize the resultant loss of life and property

The hazards associated with earthquakes are those natural and cultural phenomena that produce adverse effects on human activities. Natural or geologic phenomena include landsliding, liquefaction of soils, ground shaking and...

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Authors
  1. S. P. Nishenko
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© 1989 Van Nostrand Reinhold

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Nishenko, S.P. (1989). Earthquakes: Hazards and predictions . In: Geophysics. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30752-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30752-4_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-442-24366-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30752-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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