The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet by Henry Fountain (Epub)

Description

At 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2. earthquake—the second most powerful in world history—struck the young state of Alaska. The violent shaking, followed by massive tsunamis, devastated the southern half of the state and killed more than 130 people. A day later, George Plafker, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, arrived to investigate. His fascinating scientific detective work in the months that followed helped confirm the then-controversial theory of plate tectonics.

In a compelling tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain combines history and science to bring the quake and its aftermath to life in vivid detail. With deep, on-the-ground reporting from Alaska, often in the company of George Plafker, Fountain shows how the earthquake left its mark on the land and its people—and on science.

User’s Reviews

Review “Interleaving snapshots of a lost world, the primal power of nature and high science, “The Great Quake” is an outstanding work of nonfiction.” — The Los Angeles Times”…as elegant as the score of a Beethoven symphony.” — Nature

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ I am an old geologist and I worked in Alaska in 1961. Most of this work was in Anchorage, but we also ran a gravity survey along all existing roads and around the city. We used a base station a Elmendorf and city engineering data to establish the basis for our survey. When a big plane took off or landed at the airport, the gravity meter would not settle down for hours. There were many earthquakes during that year and I shared accommodation with other workers from our company down the hill from 4th street. We would be awakened by the shaking and the rattling of the coat hangers in the closet. Thus, the Good Friday earthquake came as no surprise and living and working in Los Angeles area at the time of the quake, it did not lead to much more than normal geological curiosity. My university training had introduced to me to some of the ongoing studies that would later confirm the ideas about plate tectonics. My knowledge of plate tectonics has increased with the continuing studies and research since that time and it was with this background that I read the kindle version of the book. The map of Alaska and the map of the area of the earthquake were not available for the kindle version and I should have investigated the hard cover version before reading the kindle version. To better understand the descriptions in the kindle version, I used google maps to see the relative location of what was being described in the book.The book needs more diagrams, pictures and exhibts to enhance the understanding of the descriptions. It was an enjoyable read and complimented what I had seen from an extended trip by car through Alaska in 2005 and visiting some of the areas where I had worked in 1961. Alaska is one the the greatest treasures of the US and this book will increase most peoples understanding of Alaska and its citizens.

⭐ Most natural disaster books I’ve read concentrate on the stories of the survivors before, during, and after the event that changed their lives, e.g. “Isaac’s Storm,” or “Sudden Sea.” There is usually a chapter or two explaining the science behind the natural disaster, but the emphasis is on effect rather than cause. “The Great Quake” emphasizes the science of plate tectonics, and tells the story of the massive 1964 Alaskan Quake mainly from the viewpoint of George Plafker, who was one of the first geologists on site to assess the damage.According to the US Geological Service: “On March 27, 1964 at 5:36 PM local time a great earthquake of magnitude 9.2 occurred in the Prince William Sound region of Alaska. The earthquake rupture started approximately 25 km beneath the surface, with its epicenter about 6 miles (10 km) east of the mouth of College Fiord, 56 miles (90 km) west of Valdez and 75 miles (120 km) east of Anchorage. The earthquake lasted approximately 4.5 minutes and is the most powerful recorded earthquake in U.S. history. It is also the second largest earthquake ever recorded, next to the M9.5 earthquake in Chile in 1960.”Unfortunately there was no surface fault to show where the quake had occurred, but after months of meticulous research Plafker concluded that the new, not-quite-mainstream theory of plate tectonics was the only way to explain the evidence. Six hundred miles of fault ruptured as the Pacific plate was being pushed beneath the North American plate. Plafker labeled this phenomenon a Mega-thrust Earthquake.”The Great Quake” also tells stories of devastation and survival. Most of the 139 deaths were caused by the tsunami resulting from the quake (for some reason the author refers to tsunamis as ‘tidal waves’ throughout this book–perhaps because that’s what they were called back in 1964.) Although the author spends time on the damage inflicted in Anchorage, and the fishing village of Valdez, this book focuses on the island-village of Chenega, which “would turn out to have the highest proportion of loss of life, by far, of any place in the state.” The quake-generated tsunami destroyed everything except for the village schoolhouse, which was perched on top of the island’s highest hill.The history of plate tectonics winds steadily through this book and reaches a climax in Plafker’s identification of the Great Alaskan Quake as the first recognized “megathrust” earthquake. He later classified the 1960 M9.5 Chilean quake as a megathrust quake, and soon scientists were seeing them everywhere–most especially in the ‘Ring of Fire’ surrounding the Pacific Ocean.This book is a nearly seamless blend of science and disaster story. I highly recommend it.

⭐ I cannot claim this is a totally unbiased review, as my story as the teacher (Kristine Madsen) in Chenega at the time of this amazing geologic occurrence, was included in the narrative! However, Henry Fountain’s extensive professional research and writing does deserve 5 stars.He presents the scientific facts in a manner that brings a very human aspect to the events preceding and following this powerful and revealing episode of the ever shifting movement of our earth. This book is informative, interesting and a highly readable account of a theory that, as a result of years of diligent field work by the intrepid geologist George Plafker;is now a proven fact!

⭐ I bought this book for my husband and he asked that I enter his personal account:On Easter Sunday, Dover AFB, Delaware launched its first two Globemaster C-124 missions in support of USAF Operation Helping Hand; more Dover missions would follow over the airlift’s 21 day duration. Our C-124 crew departed Dover on April 15th and proceeded to McGuire AFB, New Jersey to on-load vans and electric generators. From McGuire our destination was McChord AFB, Washington. Following our crew rest we flew on to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Considering the considerable damage to the structures nearby, the landing and taxi-in at Elmendorf were uneventful as the runway sustained little or no damaged. The tower was a total loss and a mobile unit was being used for air traffic control. Hangar walls were cracked, warehouses were buckled with their roofs collapsed and the eight story USAF hospital had received considerable damage.Having had a few extra hours added to our crew rest, before we were to proceed out the Aleutian Chain to the Naval Air Station at Adak and further on to Shemya Island, we had the chance to see the devastation first hand. I recall that Ship Creek, near the gate at Elmendorf, was teaming with salmon not oblivious to their disruptive surroundings. In Anchorage, homes, automobiles, movie theatres and department stores disappeared into holes thirty or more feet deep. Literally, the bottom had dropped out of the city. Needless to say an awesome sight to behold!Mr. Fountain’s “The Great Quake” is a riveting and fascinating account of the personal lives of those Alaskan survivors on that eventful day. An excellent and very educational read!

⭐ “The Great Quake” recounts the Good Friday earthquake that hit Alaska on March 27, 1964, largest earthquake to hit North America, and the second most powerful earthquake on record anywhere.Anyone interested in geology or Alaska will get a lot out of this book. Fountain is a science journalist, and combines detailed reporting with clear explanations of the science of earthquakes, and what was first called “continental drift”, now plate tectonics, which has transformed our understanding of geology.Vivid descriptions: “Many heard a deep roar as the quake got up to speed… the deep sounds were overwhelmed by the sharper and closer sounds of glass breaking, nails popping and wood splintering. Away from the cities and towns, some heard sharp cracks as thick ice shattered on lakes, or loud booms followed by a distant rushing sound as snow and rocks broke and tumbled down mountain sides. This being the height of the Cold War, many Alaskans who heard a booming sound thought that the Soviet Union must have dropped an atomic bomb on their state. In his cabin outside of Cordova, one woodsman was so convinced Russian battleships were shelling the coast that he grabbed his hunting rifle, hopped into his truck and drove toward town to fight the expected invaders in the streets.”The book follows the personal narratives of two main characters. Kristine Madsen was a schoolteacher from southern California, teaching in the tiny Inuit town of Chenega along the coast, and George Plafker was a field geologist for the USGS who was the first to fly over the destruction following the quake. Madsen’s schoolhouse stood seventy feet up a hill from the village on the shore, reachable only by a long staircase. It was almost the only structure left standing after the tsunami hit, sheltering children and other villagers who were able to race up the steps in time. Many could not.Plafker grew up in Brooklyn, and first studied rocks looking mica schists in Central Park. A love for field work and the vast outdoors led him to the US Geological Survey, and with them to Alaska. Plafker got so involved in trying to understand the earthquake that he began to write on geophysics, not just geological mapping which was his area. In the process, he became a key player in the development of Alfred Wegener’s early 20th century idea of “continental drift”, now understood as plate tectonics.Fountain’s writing style is smooth, and I moved rapidly through the book. I spent more time on the geology and its history, and somewhat less time on other subjects covered: the destruction and rebuilding of Valdez, for example, and the impact on Alaskan state politics that followed the devastation. But the book moves well.Excellent book.

⭐ On March 27, 1964 at 5:36 PM, residents of Alaska experienced a gentle rocking of the earth. Within 4.5 minutes the strength and speed of the shaking intensified creating a roaring sound and a tsunami with waves reaching a maximum height of 35 feet. The main street in Anchorage dropped 10 feet. The port of Valdez was wiped out as was the island of Chenega. Cordova was heavily damaged while Whittier and Seward were set on fire by ruptured gas lines. The main highway was fractured and the ports, railroad, airports and army bases were heavily damaged. Chapter 9, entitled SHAKEN, in Henry Fountain’s book on the largest earthquake in North America is both spellbinding and chilling in its detail. Because of limited population density in the hardest hit areas, the state death toll was “only” 113. But after that terrible day, Alaska and the study of earth science were changed forever.At the time, there were two major geological camps: those who believed the Earth was statically cooling and those who believed that the Earth’s crust was constantly in motion as suggested by Alfred Wegener as early as 1911. A day after the Alaska earthquake, George Plafker, a geologist with US Geological Survey, flew to the 49th state to ascertain what caused the quake. From land, sea and air surveillance he could not find a fault line, a characteristic feature of a classic quake. He was shocked by the liquefaction of soil in the sea ports that resulted in the sudden collapse of houses, businesses and docks. Like a geological Sherlock Holmes, Plafker looked for clues to uncover the quake’s onset. How did his methodical study of barnacles and the magnetic polarity of rock layers help him find a solution?This book is a detailed, but fascinating exposé on the evolution of the science of plate tectonics. The Alaska quake of 1964 revolutionized how the magnitude of earthquakes is measured, the tracking of quake activity in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the monitoring of underwater quakes that could trigger a tsunami, the architecture of infrastructure in quake zones and the confluence of sea floor spreading and subduction along coastal regions to explain mountain building, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. A reader of this fascinating book will have his/her notions of our dynamic planet “shaken to the core.”

⭐ Having just st read Jerry Thompson’s “Cascadia’s Fault” and enjoying it tremendously, I was hoping to enjoy this book. I did not. In a book with a narrative of 244 pages I was expecting to get to the actual earthquake somewhere before page 106. Way to many digressions and superfluous details that promise a lot more than the book delivers. Simon Winchester digresses quite a lot, yet his digressions are always interesting and pay off in the end.

⭐ The overall theme of this work is the Good Friday Alaska earthquake of 1964. It covers the history of the quake, the history of the research surrounding the quake, and the history of plate tectonics. I am old enough to remember hearing about this earthquake after it happened, but I had no idea how powerful and extensive it was. As the book mentions, the Pacific Northwest in the U.S. is at risk for the same type of plate subduction event. If you like science, geology, geophysics, science history and human interest woven throughout; you will like this book.

⭐ The authors writing style is very readable and engaging, He has tackled a very scientific subject and has made it reasonably understandable. More stars if there was more on the science, and some diagrams and a bit less on the suffering of the alaskans . Most of the book dealt with the people and not the science. I also liked the parallel made between the eihany on earthquakes and plate tectonics and how our new understanding from the Alaska experience allowed us to take steps to save lives and property from earthquake damage. Thi compares to how little we know yet about global warming and how it will severely impact us simply because we dont have the unified theory of warming down yet.

⭐ A fast-paced read about one of the biggest U.S. natural disasters of the 1960s that many have never heard about or have gotten. For those of us on the West Coast, especially in the Pacific Northwest, it’s front and center all the time nowadays as we await the Big One. The author Henry Fountain has done a wonderful job merging the human interest and science into one compelling narrative. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I felt the disaster photographs could have been better, and there should have been graphics showing how plate tectonics and subduction work.

Keywords

Free Download The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet in Epub format
The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet Epub Free Download
Download The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet 2017 Epub Free
The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet 2017 Epub Free Download
Download The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet Epub
Free Download Ebook The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet