| In
this fascinating study, John Dvorak tackles the important
and highly charged subject of the San Andreas Fault and its
past, present and future impact on California's geography.
The title is not meant to be alarmist, but rather reflects
recent research indicating that quakes can and will occur
in clusters ("storms"), even during a "big
one."
The book presents an overview of the pioneering geologists
of the past 150 years, whose insights and persistent research
lays the foundation for understanding the behavior and characteristics
of earthquakes, and includes recent groundbreaking discoveries
and insights that explain how, why and where earthquakes strike
in California and elsewhere. The pioneers mentioned contributed
to the development of vital earthquake construction standards,
with the Golden Gate Bridge construction being one of the
earliest examples.
Dvorak includes a comprehensive analysis of the fault’s
interesting and accessible geographic features, current seismic
assessment and near future prospects for a major earthquake.
Because the San Andreas Fault is a "relatively young
geological feature... a transient one," the fault is
very dynamic and active. There is very little doubt about
the fault's next seismic strength, or where and how an earthquake
will strike. The forces pulling and pushing on the fault are
always at play, whether we are aware of it or not. He presents
a strong argument to be prepared, to build to stricter standards
to minimize casualties and maintain the vitality that makes
California what it is today.
Dvorak's narrative style provides enough information for the
reader to understand the significance of these discoveries
without getting into technical geological terminology that
would lose most readers. The book doubles up as a guidebook
for those who wish to visit the fault's various locales and
see how previous earthquakes helped shape the California countryside.
|
