Can you recommend any good books or resources about earthquakes?

There are many excellent books on earthquakes and earth sciences. Here are some of our favorites.

Contents

• Introductory Geology and Geophysics
• Seismology
• Books for children
• California faults and earthquakes
• Earthquake prediction and probabilities
• Earthquake scenarios
• Publications about the 1868 San Francisco earthquake
• Publications about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
• Publications about the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
• Field Trips
• Maps
• Seismographs
• Earthquake Preparedness
• Periodicals

Introductory Geology and Geophysics

• Planet Earth Series, Time-Life Books
  • Walker, B., and the Editors of Time-Life Books, Planet Earth: Earthquake, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA, 176 pp., hardcover, 1982.
    
  • Miller, R., and the Editors of Time-Life Books, Planet Earth: Continents in Collision, Time-Life Books, Alexandria, VA, 176 pp., hardcover, 1983.

• Bolt, B.A., Inside the Earth, Freeman and Co., New York, NY, 191 pp., paperback, 1982.
  A discussion of the structure of the Earth. Slightly dated.

• Fowler, C.M., The Solid Earth, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Britain, 472 pp., paperback, 1990.
  A complete introductory text on geophysics.

• Gore, R., Our Restless Planet Earth, National Geographic, 168, p.142-181, 1985. Includes color maps

• Press, F., and R. Siever, Earth, 4th edition, Freeman and Co., New York, NY, 656 pp., hardcover, 1986.
  An introductory text to the earth sciences, used in many general geology classes. Very easy to read.

• Wilson, J.T. (ed.), Continents Adrift and Continents Aground, Freeman and Co., New York, NY, 230 pp., paperback, 1976.
  A collection of reprints from Scientific American describing the theory of plate tectonics.

• Yeats, R. S., K. E. Sieh, and C. R. Allen, Geology of Earthquakes, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, 576 pp., hardcover, 1997.

Seismology

• Bolt, B.A., Earthquakes, Freeman and Co., New York, NY, 282 pp., paperback, 1988.
  An introductory text on earthquakes. Provides a good overview of seismological phenomena.

• Gere, J.M., and H.C. Shah, Terra Non Firma, Stanford Alumni Association, Stanford, CA, 204 pp., paperback, 1984.
  A descriptive introduction to earthquakes and their results.

• Gubbins, D., Seismology and Plate Tectonics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Britain, 339 pp., paperback, 1990.
  A recent text presenting the principles of seismology and the theory of plate tectonics.

• Hough, Susan Elizabeth, Earthshaking Science: What We Know, and Don't Know, About Earthquakes, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 272 pp., hardcover, 2002.
  A narrated overview of scientists' current understanding of earthquakes, and a look at the questions that linger. By a USGS scientist.

• Kanamori, H., and E. Boschi (ed.)Earthquakes: Observation, Theory, and Interpretation, North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 608 pp., paperback, 1982.
  An excellent review of earthquake seismology, including a discussion on the design principles of electronic, intertial seismometers.

• Lay, T., and T. Wallace Modern Global Seismology, Academic Press, San Diego, CA, 521 pp., hardcover, 1995.
  An up-to-date text presenting the principles and results of global seismology.

• Richter, C.F., Elementary Seismology, Freeman and Co., New York, NY, 768 pp., hardcover, 1958.
  A classical seismological textbook, covering all aspects of seismology. Dated material, but still of interest.

Books for children

• Clifford, N., Incredible Earth, Inside Guides, DK Publishing, New York, New York, hardcover, 1996.

• Fisher, R., The Earth Pack, National Geographic Society, 1995.
  A pop-up book on the Earth. Fun for adults as well as children.

• Levy, M., and M. Salvadori, Earthquake Games, Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1997.
  Subtitled "Earthquakes and volcanoes explained by 32 games and experiments." A great hands-on activity book. Use materials like Slinkies, buckets of soil, sponges, rocks, and strings to demonstrate the principles underlying earthquakes. Contains background information, explanations of scientific concepts, and great illustrations.

• Van Rose, S. , Volcano and Earthquake, Eyewitness Books, Knopf, New York, New York, 64 pp., hardcover, 1992.
  One of the Eyewitness Books series, this book contains wonderful photographs and illustrations of plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Includes some great pictures of historical seismic instruments.

California Faults and Earthquakes

• Alterman, I., et al. (ed.), Seismotectonics of the Central California Coast Ranges, GSA Special Paper 292, Boulder, CO, 1994.

• Bailey, E. (ed.), Geology of Northern California, CDMG Bulletin 190, 1966.
  Although somewhat dated, this book is a good reference to northern California geology and contains a number of historical references. Contains some field trip guides.

• Borchardt, G. (ed.), Proceedings of the Second Conference on Earthquake Hazards on the Eastern San Francisco Bay Area, CDMG Special Publication 113, 1993.

• Gore, R., California Earthquakes, National Geographic, 187, p.2-37, 1995. Includes color maps

• Hart, E. et al. (ed.), Proceedings of the Conference on Earthquake Hazards on the Eastern San Francisco Bay Area, CDMG Special Publication 62, 1982.

• Iacopi, R., Earthquake Country, 4th edition, Fisher Books, Tucson, AZ, 146pp., paperback, 1996.
• Iacopi, R., Earthquake Country, 3rd edition, Lane Books, Menlo Park, CA, 160 pp., paperback, 1976.
  A guide to California faults and their physical manifestations. The 3rd edition has been out of print for many years and can be found in some used book stores. It contains a segment-by-segment guide to the San Andreas fault. The recently published 4th edition provides updated material on California earthquakes and covers recent advances in seismology, but does not have the detailed "exploration" of the San Andreas. Both editions are recommended.

• Norris, R., and R. Webb, Geology of California, 2nd edition, Wiley Books, New York, New York, 541 pp., hardcover, 1990.

• Powell, R., et al. (ed.), The San Andreas Fault System: Displacement, Palinspastic Reconstruction, and Geologic Evolution, GSA Memoir 178, Boulder, CO, 1993.

• Schultz, S., and R. Wallace, The San Andreas Fault, USGS General Interest Publication, 1989.

• Streitz, R., and Sherburne, R. (ed.), Studies of the San Andreas Fault Zone in Northern California, CDMG Special Report 140, 1980.

• Wallace, R.R. (ed.), The San Andreas Fault System, California, USGS Professional Paper 1515, Denver, CO, 283 pp., paperback, 1990.
  A collection of review articles on the San Andreas Fault, covering the evolution, physiography, seismicity, and deformation along the fault. Excellent reference. John Martin and Associates have created an online version of this book.

• Yanev, P.I., Peace of Mind in Earthquake Country, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, CA, 218 pp., paperback, 1991.
  A useful introduction to the effects of earthquakes on buildings, including information on how to reduce the vulnerability of your home and office.

Earthquake prediction and probabilities

• Dragoni, M., and E. Boschi (ed.), Earthquake prediction: proceedings of the International School of Solid Earth Geophysics, 5th course, Il Cigno Galileo Galilei edizioni di arte e scienza, Rome, 1992.

• Geller, R. J., D. D. Jackson, Y. Y. Kagan, and F. Mulargia, Earthquakes cannot be predicted, Science, vol. 275, 1616-1617, 1997.
  Also see critical comments on the above paper by (i) M. Wyss, and (ii) R. Aceves and S. Park, together with the authors' reply, under the title "Cannot earthquakes be predicted?," Science, vol. 278, 487-490, 1997.

• Lomnitz, C., Fundamentals of earthquake prediction, John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York, 326p., 1994.

• Simpson, D., and P. Richards (ed.), Earthquake prediction : an international review, American Geophysical Washington, DC, 680 p., 1981.

• Stuart, W. D., and K. Aki (ed.), Intermediate-term earthquake prediction, Birkhauser, 1988.

• Wyss, M. (ed), Seismicity Patterns, their Statistical Significance and Physical Meaning, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 155, 1999.
  This issue of Pure and Applied Geophysics is focused on the analysis of seismicity patterns for earthquake prediction. The contents of the issue are available on-line as pdf files.

• Wyss, M. (ed.), Evaluation of proposed earthquake precursors, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 1991.

• Parkfield
  • Bakun, W. H., et. al., Parkfield, California, earthquake prediction scenarios and response plans, USGS Open-File Report 87-192, 1987.

  • National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council Working Group to evaluate the Parkfield Prediction Experiment, Earthquake research at Parkfield--1993 and beyond, USGS Open-File Report 93-622, 1993.

  • Lindh, A. G. and M. Lim, A clarification, correction, and updating of Parkfield, California, earthquake prediction scenarios and response plansUSGS Open-File Report 95-695, 1995.

  • Michael, A. J., and L. M. Jones, A reevaluation of the seismicity alert probabilities at Parkfield, California, USGS Open-File Report 95-630, 1995.

• Earthquake Probabilities
  • Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, Earthquake Probabilities in the San Francisco Bay Region: 2000 to 2030 - A Summary of Findings, USGS Open File Report 99-517, 1999.
    On-line version

  • Working Group on Northern California Earthquake Potential, Database of Potential Sources for Earthquakes Larger than Magnitude 6 in Northern California, USGS Open File Report 96-705, 1996.
    On-line version

  • Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, Probabilities of Large Earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Region, California, USGS Circular 1053, 1990.

  • Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities, Probabilities of Large Earthquakes Occurring in California on the San Andreas Fault, USGS Open-File Report 88-398, 1988.

Earthquake scenarios

• Davis J. et al., Earthquake Planning Scenario for a Magnitude 8.3 Earthquake on the San Andreas Fault in the San Francisco Bay Area, CDMG Special Publication 61, 1982.

• Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Scenario for a Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake on the Hayward Fault, EERI, Oakland, CA, 109pp., paperback, 1996.
  On-line exercise scenario, January 1998
• Steinbrugge K. et al., Earthquake Planning Scenario for a Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake on the Hayward Fault in the San Francisco Bay Area, CDMG Special Publication 78, 1987.

• Toppozada T. et al., Planning Scenario for a Major Earthquake on the Rodgers Creek Fault in the Northern San Francisco Bay Area, CDMG Special Publication 112, 1994.

Publications about the 1868 San Francisco Earthquake

• On-line information

• Aldrich, M., B. Bolt, A. Leviton, and P. Rodda, The "Report" of the 1868 Haywards earthquake, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 76, 71-76, 1996.

• Lawson, A. C. (ed.),The California Earthquake of April 18, 1906, 1908, Reprinted 1969 by the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
  This is a comprehensive report on the 1906 earthquake, published by the State Earthquake Investigation Commission, and comprises two volumes and an atlas. It contains a discussion of the 1868 earthquake and its effects.

• Prescott, W., Circumstances surrounding the preparation and suppression of a report on the 1868 California earthquake, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 72, 2389-2393, 1982.

• Wollenberg, C., Life on the Seismic Frontier: The Great San Francisco Earthquake (of 1868), California History, Winter 1992/93, California Historical Society, San Francisco, California, 1992.

• Yu, E., and P. Segall,Slip in the 1868 Hayward Earthquake from the analysis of historical triangulation data, Journal of Geophysical Research, 101, 16101-16118, 1996.
  On-line abstract

Publications about the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

• On-line information

• Hansen, G., and E. Condon, Denial of Disaster, Chronicle Press, San Francisco, CA, 1989.

• Lawson, A. C. (ed.), The California Earthquake of April 18, 1906, 1908, Reprinted 1969 by the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
  This is a comprehensive report on the 1906 earthquake, published by the State Earthquake Investigation Commission, and comprises two volumes and an atlas. An excellent resource.

• Wald, D. J., Kanamori, H., Helmbeger, D. V., and T. H. Heaton, Source Study of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 83, 981-1019, 1993.

Publications about the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

• On-line information

• McNutt, S., and Sydnor, R. (ed.), The Loma Prieta (Santa Cruz Mountains), California, Earthquake of 17 October 1989, CDMG Special Publication 104, 1990.

• National Research Council, Practical Lessons from the Loma Prieta Earthquake, National Academy Press, 1994.

• Seismological Society of America (ed), The 1989 Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake and its effects, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 81, 1991.

• Spudich, P. (ed.), The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989 - Main shock characteristics, USGS Professional Paper 1550, Denver, CO, 297 pp., paperback, 1996.

Field Trips

• On-line information

• Bortugno, E., Living on the fault: a field guide to the visible evidence of the Hayward Fault, BAREPP publications, 1988.

• Bortugno, E., Living on the fault, II: a field guide to the visible evidence of the San Andreas Fault, BAREPP publications, 1990.

• Lienkaemper, J. Field Trip Guide to the Hayward Fault, USGS Open-File Report 89-500, 1989.

• Sloan, D. and D. Wagner (ed.), Geologic Excursions in Northern Californa: San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada, CDMG Special Publication 109, 1992.

• Sylvester, A. and J. Crowell, The San Andreas Transform Belt: Field Trip Guidebook T309, 28th International Geological Congress, American Geophysical Union, Washington DC, 199 pp., paperback, 1989.

Maps

• On-line information

• Hart, E., Fault-Rupture Hazard Zones in California (Alquist-Priolo Special Studies Zones Act of 1972 with Index to Special Studies Zones Maps), CDMG Special Publication 42, 1992.

• Jennings, C., Preliminary Fault Activity Map of California, CDMG Open-File Report 92-03, 1992.

• Lienkaemper, J., Map of recently active traces of the Hayward Fault, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, California, USGS Miscellaneous Field Studies Map, Map MF-2196, 1992.

• Perkins, J., On Shaky Ground, Association of Bay Area Governments, 1995.
  You can view maps of predicted ground shaking, road closures, and housing impact at the ABAG Web site.

• Wagner, D., et al., Geologic Map of the San Francisco-San Jose Quadrangle, CDMG Regional Geological Map Series, 1990.

Seismographs

• On-line information

• Scientific American, "Seismograph Plans: How to build a simple seismograph to record earthquake waves at home", 241, July 1979.

• Scientific American, "The New Backyard Seismology", 100, April 1996.

Earthquake Preparedness

• On-line information

• Sunset Special Report, "Getting Ready for a big quake", pp. 104-111, March 1982.

• Sunset Magazine, "Quake, Part I", pp. 163-177, October 1990.

• Sunset Magazine, "Quake, Part II", pp. 132-137, November 1990.

• The Next Big Earthquake, 1990, available from: Earthquake, U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025

Periodicals

• California Geology : Subscription for this publication is $12 for 1 year, $24 for 2 years, or $36 for 3 years and can be ordered from: California Geology, P.O. Box 2980, Sacramento, CA 95812-2980. Each issue has a "Teacher Feature". Some of the Teacher Features are available on-line.

• Earthquakes and Volcanoes : This is a bimonthly publication dedicated to earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural hazards. It is available by subscription ($10.00 per year) from: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Telephone: (202) 783-3238.

• Preliminary Determination of Epicenters Monthly Listing : This is a compilation of all earthquake occurences world wide for a particular month. It is available by subscription ($20.00 per year) from: Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, Telephone: (202) 783-3238.

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