The Dynamics of Disaster
After surviving natural disasters, from hurricanes to earthquakes to landslides, why do we persist in rebuilding with confidence that technology will protect us from the next time, if there is one? Geologist Kieffer argues that we don’t understand disasters as well as we should. She contrasts “stealth disasters” caused by long-term human impact, including climate change and soil erosion, with natural disasters or “acts of God,” which are also increasingly affected by human actions. She offers a geological field trip around the planet to illustrate the incredible diversity of geology and to impress readers with a sense of the broad time-scales, from decades to centuries, of geological change. She explores the dynamics of earthquakes in Haiti, tsunamis in Japan, landslides in Switzerland, volcanic eruptions in the Philippines, hurricanes in Missouri, and droughts and deadly floods in Australia. Kieffer ends each chapter with reflections on how warnings are issued and the public responds—sometimes ignoring warnings perceived as too frequent—and recommends a Center for Disaster Control for Planet Earth. Photos enhance the drama of this highly accessible look at disasters. --Vanessa Bush