Description
Book SynopsisLynn R. Sykes played a key role in the birth of plate tectonics, conducting revelatory research on earthquakes. In this book, he gives an invaluable insider's perspective on the theory's development and its implications.
Trade ReviewPlate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes is an enjoyable read about Lynn Sykes's firsthand experiences and historic contributions to seismology and to the world-shaking development of plate tectonics. -- Rick Aster, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University
A personal, firsthand tour through one of the great scientific revolutions of the past several centuries, from a major contributor to that revolution. -- Daniel Davis, Stony Brook University
Lynn Sykes, one of the scientific revolutionaries who gave us plate tectonics, tells his story, with special emphasis on earthquake prediction. Although earthquake prediction has been a topic perceived by some as pursued only by “fools and charlatans,” Sykes defends it not only as worthy of pursuit but also, however imperfect, as likely to be societally valuable. -- Peter Molnar, Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder
Lynn R. Sykes is world-renowned for his contributions to seismology. In this retrospective, he reflects on his fruitful scientific journey, from reading lots of seismograms and making fundamental contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and the understanding of great earthquakes, to the public policy implications of his earthquake research. -- Martin Reyners, GNS Science, New Zealand
A leader in the plate tectonic revolution, Sykes also spearheaded studies of earthquake hazards and prediction for five decades. His unvarnished reflections and insights will captivate anyone intrigued by the irregular rhythms and spasms of the earth or curious about the scientists who strive to decipher them. -- Rob Wesson, former chief, USGS Office of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Engineering, and author of
Darwin’s First Theory: Exploring Darwin’s Quest for a Theory of EarthA career-capping tour de force that is part memoir, part scientific history. * Civil Engineering *
Anyone interested in earthquakes and natural hazard science will enjoy reading
Plate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes and will gain new insights, even on topics they are familiar with. * Times Higher Education *
Table of ContentsPreface
1. Transform Faults: My Road to Seafloor Spreading, Continental Drift, and Plate Tectonics
2. Childhood, High School, MIT, and Columbia University
3. Earthquakes Along Fracture Zones and Mid-Oceanic Ridges, 1963–1965
4. Earthquakes at Subduction Zones, 1965–1967
5. Subduction, Plate Tectonics, and the New Global Tectonics, 1967–1969
6. Earthquakes in the Caribbean and Alaska
7. Long-Term Earthquake Prediction, Seismic Gaps: Alaska, Mexico, and South America
8. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and Long-Term Prediction for California
9. My Work with the U.S. National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council
10. Japanese Earthquakes and the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
11. Earthquakes in the Eastern and Central United States
12. Earthquake Risks to Nuclear-Power Reactors
13. Nuclear-Power Reactors in the United States: Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Disaster
14. Travels to Earthquake Countries and a Trip to the Earth’s Mantle in Newfoundland
15. Advances in Long-Term Earthquake Prediction: Future Prospects
Acknowledgments
Glossary
References
Index
About the Author
