The Million Death Quake: The Science of Predicting Earth's Deadliest Natural Disaster

by Roger Musson

For centuries, Californians and the Japanese have known that they were at risk of catastrophic earthquakes, and prepared accordingly. But when a violent 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti in 2010, hardly anyone knew the island nation was even at risk for disaster, and, tragically, no one was prepared. Over 300,000 people died as buildings that had never been designed to withstand such intense shaking toppled over and crushed their inhabitants. Now, scientists warn that it won't be long before a single, catastrophic quake kills one million people - and that it is going to strike right where we least expect it. In this groundbreaking book, renowned seismologist with the British Geological Survey Roger Musson takes us on an exhilarating journey to explore what scientists and engineers are doing to prepare us for the worst. With riveting tales of the scientists who first cracked the mystery of what causes the ground to violently shake, Musson makes plain the powerful geological forces driving ear

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Geology

272 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 2012

Reviews

[Jorge Gines · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can say the same in half the number of pages.

[Daniel Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I admit it. When I received The Million Death Quake and saw that its author, Doctor Roger Musson, was not only the leading seismologist with the British Geological Survey, but also their spokesman, I thought I’d have to force myself through pages of tecno-speak and boring statistics. When I saw the average score of four and a half stars out of five on Library Thing this book had earned, I contemplated that somehow, the publisher had figured out how to mess with the scale.

I happily admit that I was dead wrong on all counts.

In the first paragraph, Dr. Musson grabs our attention with a vision of what the book’s title might be like to experience and from there, he takes us through the history of experiencing, surviving, and attempting to predict earthquakes. What captivated me however, was the manner in which he does so. I can’t honestly say the book is humorous because obviously the topic is not, but with more than a little tongue-in-cheek thrown in here and there where appropriate, especially in the sections dealing with the history of earthquakes, Doctor Musson lets us delve into his world of uncertainty.

I have always thought myself well read, but apparently when it comes to earthquakes, I wasn’t paying close enough attention in class. I did have a feeling of déjà vu as I read about the mistakes most newscasters make when reporting earthquakes, and I proudly proclaim that I will never again say such and such a quake registered something or other on the Richter Scale. Why not? Well, you’ll just have to read the book.

The Million Death Quake gives us a sobering look at what is probably to come...someday...we don’t know when and perhaps that is the scariest part of all.

I have added yet another four and a half stars to this book’s score and can say in all honesty that it is well deserved. If you have any interest in science, earthquakes, geology, or just want to see how a university professor should teach, pick up a copy of this book. You won’t regret it. You might not sleep as well, but...er...never mind. I didn’t say that.

www.daniellittle.com

[Mesfin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The million death quake

Haiti January 12, 2010,
 During the earthquake happen the reporter;
• 1st report say 12 people died
• 2nd report say at least 200 people now sure died
• Eventually official death reached 220,000 people
• Finally 316,000 people dead in Haiti
(Officially the 2nd deadliest earthquakes in human history.)
This books is about how to stop that
1 To understand the problem presented to society by earthquakes.
Is necessary to know about the earthquakes themselves;
 How they are
 What they do
 Why they happen
2 what can be done about earthquakes;
• Can they be predicated?
• Can they be controlled?
Cause earthquakes create desirable places to live.
Volcano present a similar problem;
• Volcano soil—highly fertile
• Great for growth crops
• Eruption
Earthquakes risk;
Hazed; specific, shaking will occur
Exposure; similar natter
Vulnerability; measure of how strong or weak
Philosophers
1 Aristotle basic reasoning about earthquake;
• Volcano
• Originate with air
• Strong wind moves much faster than water
• Fire
• Rain soaks into the earth
• Sun warms the earth
• The moisture evaporates
• Evaporation causes a wind inside the earth
• Rush of the wind causes earthquakes
this book is really painful. because earthquake is really dangerous. people didn't know that is happening, and is hard save themselves, so on. also its a lot of country happen; Haiti, Chile, Australia, and Guatemala. maybe I will read more happen other country.

[Chris Bauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an obsessive-compulsive fiction reader I have to force myself to pick up a non-fiction work for every three novels I read.

The opening chapter of this fascinating work on earthquakes and the science behind them is a "how to" guide for any writer wondering how to create an effective "hook" at the start of their work.

3 pages in and I knew I'd finish this book, no matter how dry it might get.

I was pleasantly surprised. Musson writes with a deft hand and a keen analytical mind, but inserts a multitude of personal observations and experiences which make the work the more rich.

I've never been much of a geology guy, but I was fascinated by the breadth of topics covered in the book. Could be sub-titled "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Earthquakes But Didn't Know Who to Ask."

Covering topics from why quakes happen, what are they, what is the "history" of them to how to predict/prevent them, I was impressed by the simple yet detailed attention Musson provides to the topic.

When I finished the work I immediately set about finding a seismograph I can set up in my backyard.

[J.P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this book was written some years ago, it might have been titled All About Earthquakes but the style now is to go with an attention grabber. The title is somewhat misleading as the book deals with more than a potentially catastrophic earthquake.
The author does a fine job with the subject. It’s not overly simplistic which would bore those who know the basics, nor is it too technical which might scare off those who are reading about earthquakes for the first time. What causes earthquakes is covered along with how they are studied. The latter part deals with solutions and predictions. There’s a bit of levity here also, as the author recalls the time someone accidentally kicked a can containing a seismometer causing a major quake to be registered in his area.
I would have liked more details and eyewitness accounts of the major quakes, but overall this is a very well written book suitable for those with some knowledge of the topic or anyone new to the subject.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was a disappointingly pedestrian work for such a sensational title. Would I recommend it? Well, sure--to someone who is just being introduced to the topic of earthquakes and the philosophy of disaster preparedness. The author obviously has a lot of interesting material up his sleeve, but I wish he'd spent more time on risk assessment, as advertised.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

不錯看⋯
1）介紹4類板塊
2）萊氏地震規模不是圏內人使用的專有名詞⋯只是對一般平民最簡單的表達方式
3）加洲絕對是最大的地震未爆彈
4）北齋的不是海嘯畫，是沖浪畫
5）地震沒有辦法用精準的方式來被預測但是只幫我們多買一點時間(幾十秒吧)
6）地震不恐怖，是建築物才恐怖

目錄

第一篇　問題所在
第一章 尖聲慘叫的城市
第二章 地震是什麼？
第三章 地球內部之旅
第四章 追蹤不可見之物
第五章 規模多大？震度多強？
第六章 震驚世界的巨浪
第二篇　解決之道
第七章 四P對策
第八章 能不能預測地震？
第九章 爭取早期預警時間
第十章 地震不會致命，建築物才會
第十一章 大災難的機率
第十二章 當心險境，保持安全

[anette ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, interesting but i kept falling asleep

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look at Earthquakes, their prediction, and potential deathtolls.

[Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this was a good introduction to the science and history of earthquake protection and prediction for a layperson’s perspective, and it kept me engaged throughout!

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't be put off by the somewhat sensationalist title, or by the first sentence: 'Imagine a city screaming' - this is a serious review of all matters to do with earthquakes, albeit written in a very accessible, readable style. Musson is a genuine earthquake expert who clearly cares about their effects on people, and who has thought deeply about how their effects can be mitigated - but he wears his scholarship lightly, and shares his knowledge generously. He has a nice way of introducing a human touch to scenes of destruction: the woman in Port-au-Prince, in 2010, who was already on the phone and cried to her friend 'It's the end of the world'; Enrico Caruso seeking refuge after his San Francisco hotel was destroyed, along with much else in the city, early one morning in 1906; Tilly Smith, the 9-year old girl responsible for safely clearing a Sri Lankan beach ahead of the 2004 tsunami, and so forth.
The first part of the book explores the history of the science of seismology, leading up to how earthquakes are now understood, measured and investigated. Musson introduces us to the characters involved (including Immanuel Kant, no less) explaining why they were wrong and where they were right. The rest of the book looks at mitigation: what can be done about making earthquakes less deadly. There is a lot of good sense here, including a lucid explanation of earthquake magnitude -which matters - and of the notorious 'Richter Scale' - which is a journalistic invention.
Finally, he looks at where the first 'million death quake' might occur - probably Istanbul or Tehran, perhaps in Nepal (he wrote this before the 2015 7.8 magnitude quake). He does this not in any sensation-seeking way but rather for the sake of facing the problem and considering what can be done about it, by individuals and by governments. His final words: 'Stay safe'.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course the garish title causes one to pick this one off the New Books shelf at the library. There's really not as much science in here as the title suggests, though there is a lot of history of the development of seismology. The author's real strength is to open the reader's mind to fallacies, cliches, and to put one on to sounder ways of thinking about earthquake prediction and protection (and for other types of natural disaster, too). Recommended for those who are interested in the subject only.

[Cats 274 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful book. The author managed to be informative and scientifically correct and in the same time funny and witty. Great reading, not only for seismologists and Earth scientists, but for anyone wanting to learn more about earthquakes in an interesting and amusing way.

Great job, Roger!

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting intro to earthquakes including some history on how knowledge developed, but not detailed or deep enough. Much of what was in here was stuff I already knew about. What was new was hearing about the early ideas about earthquake from Aristotle and Kant related to being caused by wind and water.

[Gautsho]

Nägime kinos "San Andrease" treilerit, kui Anni ytles, et ta ei julge seda vist vaatama minna, paistab liiga realistlik, ja ma tundsin isegi kerget kiivust, et kergelt raputava Kreeka tõttu ei ole mul maavärinate suhtes nii tugevaid tundeid. No vot, lugesin raamatu läbi ja olen nyyd tuima Eestimaa yle väga rõõmus; väga hea ja kaasakiskuv ja jube raamat.

[Elizabeth]

As heard on The World Science Podcast.

[Phil Farquharson · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Only fools, charlatans and liars predict earthquakes." Charles Richter, 1935
This is a surprisingly reasonable treatment of earthquakes-as-disasters, considering the slightly sensationalist title.

[Roger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sounds like a great premise but it turns out to be a rational discussion of how earthquakes happen and why they are so unpredictable. Dry but interesting.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good refresher for me on plate tectonics, faults, and seismology.