Alarming Quakes 4 Unearthing Earthquakes 6 Quake Strength 16 Historic Earthquakes 26 Preparing for the Future 36 Glossary 46 For More Information 47 Index 48 CONTENTS WORDS IN THE GLOSSARY APPEAR IN BOLD TYPE THE FIRST TIME THEY ARE USED IN THE TEXT
Earthquakes are a truly unpredictable force of nature These devastating natural disasters can cause intense ground shaking collapse tall multistory buildings and crack open pavement Earthquakes are often responsible for numerous deaths and injuries Scientists can guess the likelihood of an earthquake occurring in a certain area within a specific time frame However these predictions or guesses are not always accurate or free from mistakes This makes earthquakes unpredictable and therefore incredibly dangerous happens examine some of the most destructive earthquakes throughout history and discuss how we can prepare for the earthquakes of the future In this book we’ll look at how and why an earthquake ALARMlNG QUAKES 4
5 ON MAY 12 2008 A DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE HIT THE SICHUAN PROVINCE IN CHINA THE SICHUAN EARTHQUAKE OF 2008 LED TO NEARLY 90,000 DEATHS AS WELL AS NEARLY 375,000 INJURIES THE QUAKE DESTROYED AROUND 80 PERCENT OF BUILDINGS IN THE AREA LEAVING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE HOMELESS
