Witness to Disaster: Earthquakes

“It is amazing how the Earth tells us that it is alive, that it moves and changes like any living organism.”

Dr. Alberto M. Lopez-Venegas, United States Geological Survey

Text copyright © 2008 Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin

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Fradin, Judith Bloom.

Earthquakes: witness to disaster / by Judy and Dennis Fradin.

p. cm.—(Witness to disaster)

Includes bibliographical references.

1. Earthquakes—Alaska—Anchorage region. I. Fradin, Judith Bloom. II. Fradin, Dennis B. III. Title.

QE535.2.U6F68 2008

551.22—dc22

2007044164

ISBN: 978-1-4263-0979-3

National Geographic Society

John M. Fahey, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer;

Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman of the Board;

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Nina D. Hoffman, Executive Vice President; President, Books Publishing Group

Staff for This Book

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Photo Credits

cover, Reza / NG Image Collection; back, Emory Kristof / NG Image Collection; spine, Bill Roth/ Anchorage Daily News/ Associated Press; 2-3, James Balog/Getty Images; 5, Koji Sasahara/ Associated Press; 6, Ward W. Wells/ Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center; 9, Pratt Museum; 10, Stan Wayman/Life Magazine, Copyright Time Inc./ Time Life Pictures/Getty Images; 11, Central Press/Getty Images; 12, Chiaki Tsukumo/ Associated Press; 13, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Reproduced with permission. c2000 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All Rights Reserved; 15, NG Image Collection; 16 up left, Susan Sanford/ NG Image Collection; 16 up right, Susan Sanford / NG Image Collection; 16 lo left, Susan Sanford / NG Image Collection; 16 lo right, Susan Sanford / NG Image Collection; 18, Ann Johansson/ Associated Press; 19, Kashuhiro Nogi/ AFP/ Getty Images; 21, J.R. Stacy/ USGS; 22, Library of Congress; 23, National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering, EERC, University of California, Berkeley; 25, USGS; 26, Newspaperarchive.com; 27, Library of Congress; 28, J. B. Macelwane Archives, Saint Louis University; 29, USGS; 31, T. Kuribayashi, National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering, EERC, University of California, Berkeley; 32, Chris Sattlberger/ Photo Researchers, Inc.; 33, Banaras Khan/ AFP/ Getty Images; 35, Mike Poland/ USGS; 37, Commander Emily B. Christman/ NOAA; 38, Chuck Nacke//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images; 39, C.E. Meyer/ USGS; 40-41, Farzaneh Khademian/Corbis; 42, Jim Holmes/ Axiom/ Getty Images; 43, Reza / NG Image Collection; 44, Keystone/ Getty Images;

Version: 2017-07-06

Introduction: Japan Earthquake

Chapter 1: “The Ground Would Not Stop Shaking”: Alaska, 1964

Chapter 2: “As If a Giant Foot Had Stepped On It”: Why Does the Earth Quake?

Chapter 3: “The Heart of This Old Earth Was Broken”: Famous Earthquakes

Chapter 4: “Only a Matter of Time”: Predicting and Preparing for Earthquakes

Glossary

Bibliography

Further Reading and Research

Interviews by the Authors

Acknowledgments

Index

As one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, Japan is well prepared for such disasters. Buildings on the island nation are designed to withstand large earthquakes. Schoolchildren are taught how to protect themselves when they occur. Drills are held regularly to make sure citizens react safely when the ground shakes.