Earthquake Disasters in Latin America (eBook)

A Holistic Approach

Heriberta Castaños, Cinna Lomnitz (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

2012 | 2012
VIII, 65 Seiten
Springer Netherland (Verlag)
978-94-007-2810-3 (ISBN)

Infos

This book is an attempt to demonstrate the analytical power of the holistic approach for understanding disasters.   Six major earthquakes in Latin America are used as an example: the general idea is to place disasters in a broad social and regional context.  Understanding disasters is a way of understanding the social system.  The idea is to show that every major disaster is unique and different.  Statistical methods may be useful for purposes of risk estimation but modern disasters are 'systemic' and complex.  In the chapter on the 2010 Chile earthquake we discuss the tsunami and why the system of tsunami alert did not work.  The introductory chapter contains some basics of seismology (plate tectonics) and earthquake engineering.  The 1985 Mexico earthquake describes why geology is important.   Why was Mexico City founded in a lake?  Technology must be adapted to the environment, not 'imported' from possibly more advanced but different societies.  The 1970 Peru earthquake is an example of disaster in a unique environment.  Caracas 1967 takes us on a survey of different engineering solutions.  And the 1960 Chile earthquake leads us on a retrospective survey--what has changed in Chile between the two major Chile earthquakes?  A discussion on Charles Darwin's observations of the 1835 Chile earthquake provides a fitting summary.

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This book is an attempt to demonstrate the analytical power of the holistic approach for understanding disasters. Six major earthquakes in Latin America are used as an example: the general idea is to place disasters in a broad social and regional context. Understanding disasters is a way of understanding the social system. The idea is to show that every major disaster is unique and different. Statistical methods may be useful for purposes of risk estimation but modern disasters are "e;systemic"e; and complex. In the chapter on the 2010 Chile earthquake we discuss the tsunami and why the system of tsunami alert did not work. The introductory chapter contains some basics of seismology (plate tectonics) and earthquake engineering. The 1985 Mexico earthquake describes why geology is important. Why was Mexico City founded in a lake? Technology must be adapted to the environment, not "e;imported"e; from possibly more advanced but different societies. The 1970 Peru earthquake is an example of disaster in a unique environment. Caracas 1967 takes us on a survey of different engineering solutions. And the 1960 Chile earthquake leads us on a retrospective survey--what has changed in Chile between the two major Chile earthquakes? A discussion on Charles Darwin's observations of the 1835 Chile earthquake provides a fitting summary.

Inhalt

1. Darwin and plate tectonics1.1. Darwin feels an earthquake1.2. Earthquake physics1.3. Plate tectonics and failure modes1.4. How to measure earthquakes 1.5. Failure modes1.6. Tsunami warning systems1.7. Megaquakes and transelastic waves2. The great 1960 Chile earthquake2.1. A great earthquake2.2. Earthquakes and coastal geomorphology2.3. An observation of long-period surface waves on soft ground3. The 1967 Caracas earthquake3.1. Caracas in 1967      4. The 1970 Peru earthquake4.1. The Santa Valley4.2. Geology of the disaster4.3. Climate change and communicative action5. The 1985 Mexico earthquake5.1. September 19, 1985, 7:19 a.m.5.2. Lázaro Cárdenas5.3. Mexico City5.4. Social effects of the earthquake5.5. The Senate hearings5.6. Disaster, denial, and the Law6. The 2010 Haiti earthquake6.1. An unmitigated catastrophe6.2. Possible causes of the disaster6.3. Disaster culture in an earthquake country7. The 2010 Chile earthquake7.1. Another megaquake7.2. Earthquake damage caused by long-period surface waves7.3. Some historical sidelights7.4. Disaster and regional development8. A list of significant earthquakes in Latin America8.1. IntroductionTable 8.1 Significant earthquakes in Latin America, 1906-20109. Conclusions and recommendations9.1. Summary9.2. Megaquakes9.3. Sustainability9.4. Tsunamis9.5. Disaster culture9.6. Building codes9.7. Engineering ethicsRecommendations

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 3.1.2012
• Reihe/Serie: SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences
• Reihe/Serie: SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences
• Zusatzinfo: VIII, 65 p. 14 illus., 12 illus. in color.
• Verlagsort: Dordrecht
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Ökologie / Naturschutz
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geografie / Kartografie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Geowissenschaften ► Geophysik
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Politik / Verwaltung
• Themenwelt: Technik
• Schlagworte: Catastrophe Theory • Disaster studies • Earthquake hazard • risk governance • Sociology of risk • vulnerability
• ISBN-10: 94-007-2810-7 / 9400728107
• ISBN-13: 978-94-007-2810-3 / 9789400728103