Natural Disasters in a Global Environment

Informationen zum Autor Anthony N. Penna is Professor Emeritus at Northeastern University. He is the author of Nature's Bounty: Historical and Modern Environmental Perspectives (1999), Remaking Boston: An Environmental History of the City and Its Surroundings (co-edited with Conrad Edick Wright, 2009), and The Human Footprint: A Global Environmental History (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009). Jennifer S. Rivers is Professor and Director of the Environmental Studies program at Northeastern University. She holds a PhD from Syracuse University in Earth Science and has over thirty published articles in the field of Environmental Science. Klappentext Natural Disasters in a Global Environment is a transnational, global and environmental history of natural and man-made disasters. Detailed case studies of past and present events are presented in a historical narrative, making use of the most recent scholarship.* Examines a range of disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, famines, and more* Highlights the role of science in studying natural disasters and describes the mechanisms responsible for them* Features a range of case studies which can be used in conjunction with one another or as standalone examples* Covers scientific material in a lucid and accessible style suited to undergraduate students or those outside of scientific disciplines* Traces the transition of our understanding of disasters, from religious and superstitious explanations to contemporary scientific accounts Zusammenfassung Natural Disasters in a Global Environment is a transnational, global and environmental history of natural and man-made disasters. Detailed case studies of past and present events are presented in a historical narrative, making use of the most recent scholarship. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of figures x Preface xii Acknowledgments xiv Introduction 1 PART 1 INTERNAL PROCESSES 11 1 Supervolcanoes 13 Introduction 13 The Mt. Toba Eruption (73,000 BP) 15 The Thera (Santorini) Eruption in the Aegean Sea (1600 BCE) 20 Mt. Tambora (1815) and Krakatau (1883) 25 The Mt. Pinatubo Eruption (1991) 28 A Threatening Future Scenario 32 Summary 33 Notes 35 Further Reading 37 2 Earthquakes 38 Introduction 38 The San Francisco Earthquake (1906) 39 The Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) 48 The Haitian Earthquake (2010) 56 Summary 66 Notes 68 3 Tsunamis 71 Introduction 71 Lisbon, Portugal: The Quadruple Disaster (1755) 72 The Lituya Bay Mega-Tsunami (1958) 79 The Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake (2004) 83 The Tôhoku (Japan) Tsunami (2011) 89 Summary 97 Notes 98 Further Reading 104 PART 2 SURFICIAL PROCESSES 105 4 Fire 107 Introduction 107 The Burning of Rome (68 CE) 108 The Great Fire of London (1666) 112 The Chicago and Peshtigo Fires (1871) 120 Summary 132 Notes 133 Further Reading 135 5 Floods 136 Introduction 136 Central China Floods (1931) 137 The Dutch Flood Disaster (1953) 144 The Bangladesh Floods (1997-98) 149 Summary 154 Notes 156 Further Reading 160 6 Landslides 162 Introduction 162 The Turtle Mountain Landslide, Canada (1903) 163 The Aberfan Landslide, Wales (1966) 167 The Ancash Earthquake and Landslide, Peru (1970) 171 The Southern Leyte Landslide, the Philippines (2006) 177 Summary 183 Notes 184 Further Reading 187 7 Pandemic Diseases 189 Introduction 189 The Bubonic Plague (1347-51 and After) 190 The Great Infl uenza Pandemic (1918-20) 200 HIV/AIDS (1985-) 210

Sommario

List of figures x
 
Preface xii
 
Acknowledgments xiv
 
Introduction 1
 
PART 1 INTERNAL PROCESSES 11
 
1 Supervolcanoes 13
 
Introduction 13
 
The Mt. Toba Eruption (73,000 BP) 15
 
The Thera (Santorini) Eruption in the Aegean Sea (1600 BCE) 20
 
Mt. Tambora (1815) and Krakatau (1883) 25
 
The Mt. Pinatubo Eruption (1991) 28
 
A Threatening Future Scenario 32
 
Summary 33
 
Notes 35
 
Further Reading 37
 
2 Earthquakes 38
 
Introduction 38
 
The San Francisco Earthquake (1906) 39
 
The Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) 48
 
The Haitian Earthquake (2010) 56
 
Summary 66
 
Notes 68
 
3 Tsunamis 71
 

Introduction 71
 
Lisbon, Portugal: The Quadruple Disaster (1755) 72
 
The Lituya Bay Mega-Tsunami (1958) 79
 
The Sumatra-Andaman Earthquake (2004) 83
 
The Tôhoku (Japan) Tsunami (2011) 89
 
Summary 97
 
Notes 98
 
Further Reading 104
 
PART 2 SURFICIAL PROCESSES 105
 
4 Fire 107
 
Introduction 107
 
The Burning of Rome (68 CE) 108
 
The Great Fire of London (1666) 112
 
The Chicago and Peshtigo Fires (1871) 120
 
Summary 132
 
Notes 133
 
Further Reading 135
 
5 Floods 136
 
Introduction 136
 
Central China Floods (1931) 137
 
The Dutch Flood Disaster (1953) 144
 
The Bangladesh Floods (1997-98) 149
 
Summary 154
 
Notes 156
 
Further Reading 160
 
6 Landslides 162
 
Introduction 162
 
The Turtle Mountain Landslide, Canada (1903) 163
 
The Aberfan Landslide, Wales (1966) 167
 
The Ancash Earthquake and Landslide, Peru (1970) 171
 
The Southern Leyte Landslide, the Philippines (2006) 177
 
Summary 183
 
Notes 184
 
Further Reading 187
 
7 Pandemic Diseases 189
 
Introduction 189
 
The Bubonic Plague (1347-51 and After) 190
 
The Great Infl uenza Pandemic (1918-20) 200
 
HIV/AIDS (1985-) 210
 
Summary 216
 
Notes 219
 
Further Reading 221
 
PART 3 ATMOSPHERIC PROCESSES 223
 
8 Hurricanes, Cyclones, and Typhoons 225
 

Introduction 225
 
The Labor Day Hurricane in the Florida Keys (1935) 227
 
The Bhola Cyclone (1970) 236
 
Super-Typhoon Nina (1975) 244
 
Summary 250
 
Notes 250
 
Further Reading 252
 
9 Famines and Droughts 253
 
Introduction 253
 
The Irish Potato Famine (1845-51) 254
 
The "Dust Bowl" Drought in the American West (1930-40) 262
 
The Great Leap Forward Chinese Famine (1958-61) 271
 
Summary 281
 
Notes 282
 
Further Reading 285
 
10 Meteorite Impacts 287
 
Introduction 287
 
The Creation of Earth's Moon and the Origins of Meteorites 289
 
The Yucatán Chicxulub Crater, Mexico (65 MYA) 290
 
The Clovis Extinction (12,500-12,900 BP) 295
 
The Tunguska (Siberia) Event (1908) 298
 
Investigating Future Impacts 301
 
Summary 307
 
Notes 308
 
Further Reading 311
 
Epilogue 313
 
Index 319

Relazione

"Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-divison undergraduates through professionals; general readers." - CHOICE, November 2013

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: Anthony N Penna, Anthony N. Penna, Anthony N. (Northeastern University Penna, Penna Anthony N., Jennifer S Rivers, Jennifer S. Rivers, Jennifer S. (Boston College Rivers, Rivers Jennifer S.
• Editore: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 10.01.2013
• EAN: 9781118252338
• ISBN: 978-1-118-25233-8
• Pagine: 304
• Categorie: Saggistica > Storia > Altro; Scienze umane, arte, musica > Storia; Weltgeschichte, Geschichte, Naturkatastrophe, History, world history, Spezialthemen Geschichte, History Special Topics