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The great quake : how the biggest earthquake in North America changed our understanding of the planet  Cover Image Book Book

The great quake : how the biggest earthquake in North America changed our understanding of the planet / Henry Fountain.

Fountain, Henry, (author.).

Summary:

"In the tradition of Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm, a riveting narrative about the biggest earthquake in recorded history in North America--the 1964 Alaskan earthquake that demolished the city of Valdez and obliterated the coastal village of Chenega--and the scientist sent to look for geological clues to explain the dynamics of earthquakes, who helped to confirm the then controversial theory of plate tectonics. On March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m., the biggest earthquake ever recorded in North America--and the second biggest ever in the world, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale--struck Alaska, devastating coastal towns and villages and killing more than 130 people in what was then a relatively sparsely populated region. In a riveting tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain, in his first trade book, re-creates the lives of the villagers and townspeople living in Chenega, Anchorage, and Valdez; describes the sheer beauty of the geology of the region, with its towering peaks and 20-mile-long glaciers; and reveals the impact of the quake on the towns, the buildings, and the lives of the inhabitants. George Plafker, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey with years of experience scouring the Alaskan wilderness, is asked to investigate the Prince William Sound region in the aftermath of the quake, to better understand its origins. His work confirmed the then controversial theory of plate tectonics that explained how and why such deadly quakes occur, and how we can plan for the next one"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781101904060
  • ISBN: 1101904062
  • Physical Description: vii, 277 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Crown, [2017]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 248-269) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Map of Alaska -- Map of the Alaska Earthquake of 1964 -- Altered state -- Under the mountain -- An accident of geography -- Clam broth and beer -- The floating world -- Spiking out -- Before the storm -- Faults -- Shaken -- Stunned -- The barnacle line -- Rebuilding -- Deep thinking -- Acceptance -- Epilogue.
Subject: Plafker, George, 1929-
Alaska Earthquake, Alaska, 1964.
Earthquakes > Alaska > Prince William Sound Region > History > 20th century.
Prince William Sound Region (Alaska) > History > 20th century.
Prince William Sound Region (Alaska) > Environmental conditions > History > 20th century.
Earthquake damage > Alaska > Prince William Sound Region > History > 20th century.
Geologists > United States > Biography.
Seismology > Alaska > Prince William Sound Region > History > 20th century.
HISTORY > United States > 20th Century.
SOCIAL SCIENCE > Disasters & Disaster Relief.
SCIENCE > Earth Sciences > Geology.
HISTORY / United States / 20th Century.
HISTORY > United States > 20th Century.
SOCIAL SCIENCE > Disasters & Disaster Relief.
SCIENCE > Earth Sciences > Geology.
Genre: Biographies.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Library. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Library System.
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Homer Public Library. (Show)

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Homer Public Library AK 551.2209783 FOU (Text) 000141860 Alaskana -- Nonfiction Available -


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