Over 250,000 people were killed in the Tangshan, China earthquake of 1976, and other less active tectonic processes can disrupt river channels or have a grave impact on repositories of radioactive wastes. Since tectonic processes can be critical to many human activities, the Geophysics Study Committee Panel on Active Tectonics has presented an evaluation of the current state of knowledge about tectonic events, which include not only earthquakes but volcanic eruptions and similar events. This book addresses three main topics: the tectonic processes and their rates, methods of identifying and evaluating active tectonics, and the effects of active tectonics on society.

This book reviews the active faults around nuclear power plants in Japan and recommends an optimal method of nuclear power regulation controlled by the Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan. The active faults around nuclear power plants have been underestimated in Japan since the latter half of the 20th century. However, based on the lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, the book sheds light on why the risks of active faults were underestimated, and discusses the optimal scientific method of assessing those risks. Further, the author shares his experiences in the new standard for nuclear regulation creation team and in the active fault survey at the Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan. This book is a valuable resource for students, researchers, academic and policy-makers, as well as non-experts interested in nuclear safety.

The destructive force of earthquakes has stimulated human inquiry since ancient times, yet the scientific study of earthquakes is a surprisingly recent endeavor. Instrumental recordings of earthquakes were not made until the second half of the 19th century, and the primary mechanism for generating seismic waves was not identified until the beginning of the 20th century. From this recent start, a range of laboratory, field, and theoretical investigations have developed into a vigorous new discipline: the science of earthquakes. As a basic science, it provides a comprehensive understanding of earthquake behavior and related phenomena in the Earth and other terrestrial planets. As an applied science, it provides a knowledge base of great practical value for a global society whose infrastructure is built on the Earth's active crust. This book describes the growth and origins of earthquake science and identifies research and data collection efforts that will strengthen the scientific and social contributions of this exciting new discipline.

Marine Geo-Hazards in China, the first book to focus specifically on potential marine geological hazards in China, includes 19 chapters with varying focus on key issues surrounding the topic. Early chapters discuss the historical background, research progress, and geological environments in China's sea area. Next, multiple chapters present special topics on geological hazards in China's sea area, including its disaster pregnant environment, mechanisms of disaster change, the development regularity and disaster formation process, and existing or potential dangers and countermeasures. Final chapters present the latest information on the distribution, development, assessment, and risk analysis of marine geological hazards. This book is an important source of information for government and local policymakers, environmental and marine scientists, and engineers. Discusses the background, current research, and systematically reviews the history, major advances in the studies in the field, and demonstrates the development prospect of this subject. Contains and summarizes the author’s longstanding achievements in the field, as well as includes a wide range of researches conducted both locally and overseas. Systematically summarizes the basic characteristics of the distribution and development of the main types of geological hazards in China seas. Puts forward the scheme of marine geological disaster regionalization of China, and is significant for researches in other countries or regions.

Volume editor is the leading authority in the field Alphabetically organized in two volumes c.700 comprehensively signed, cross-referenced and indexed entries Detailed bibliographies and suggestions for further reading follow most entries Fully illustrated: over 300 plates and line drawings Written by an editorial team of over 270 experts from over thirty countries

Few subjects have caught the attention of the entire world as much as those dealing with natural hazards. The first decade of this new millennium provides a litany of tragic examples of various hazards that turned into disasters affecting millions of individuals around the globe. The human losses (some 225,000 people) associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the economic costs (approximately 200 billion USD) of the 2011 Tohoku Japan earthquake, tsunami and reactor event, and the collective social impacts of human tragedies experienced during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 all provide repetitive reminders that we humans are temporary guests occupying a very active and angry planet. Any examples may have been cited here to stress the point that natural events on Earth may, and often do, lead to disasters and catastrophes when humans place themselves into situations of high risk. Few subjects share the true interdisciplinary dependency that characterizes the field of natural hazards. From geology and geophysics to engineering and emergency response to social psychology and economics, the study of natural hazards draws input from an impressive suite of unique and previously independent specializations. Natural hazards provide a common platform to reduce disciplinary boundaries and facilitate a beneficial synergy in the provision of timely and useful information and action on this critical subject matter. As social norms change regarding the concept of acceptable risk and human migration leads to an explosion in the number of megacities, coastal over-crowding and unmanaged habitation in precarious environments such as mountainous slopes, the vulnerability of people and their susceptibility to natural hazards increases dramatically. Coupled with the concerns of changing climates, escalating recovery costs, a growing divergence between more developed and less developed countries, the subject of natural hazards remains on the forefront of issues that affect all people, nations, and environments all the time. This treatise provides a compendium of critical, timely and very detailed information and essential facts regarding the basic attributes of natural hazards and concomitant disasters. The Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards effectively captures and integrates contributions from an international portfolio of almost 300 specialists whose range of expertise addresses over 330 topics pertinent to the field of natural hazards. Disciplinary barriers are overcome in this comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. Clear illustrations and numerous color images enhance the primary aim to communicate and educate. The inclusion of a series of unique “classic case study” events interspersed throughout the volume provides tangible examples linking concepts, issues, outcomes and solutions. These case studies illustrate different but notable recent, historic and prehistoric events that have shaped the world as we now know it. They provide excellent focal points linking the remaining terms in the volume to the primary field of study. This Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards will remain a standard reference of choice for many years.