The great quake how the biggest earthquake in North America changed our understanding of the planet

"In the tradition of Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm, a riveting narrative about the biggest earthquake in recorded history in North America--the 1964 Alaskan earthquake that demolished the city of Valdez and obliterated the coastal village of Chenega--and the scientist sent to look for geological clues...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fountain, Henry (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Crown, [2017]
Edition:First edition.
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!

MARC

LEADER 00000cam a2200000 i 4500
001 on1003850337
003 OCoLC
005 20180105095500.0
008 170103t20172017nyuabf b 001 0deng c
010 |a  2016059373 
020 |a 9781101904060  |q (hardcover) 
020 |a 1101904062  |q (hardcover) 
020 |z 9781101904077  |q (ebook) 
035 |a (OCoLC)1003850337 
040 |a PUL  |b eng  |e rda  |c PUL  |d HWARD  |d ANK  |d EYM  |d DUD  |d OBE  |d IOU  |d PCB 
042 |a pcc 
043 |a n-us-ak  |a n-us--- 
050 0 0 |a QE535.2.U6  |b F65 2017 
082 0 0 |a 551.2209798/3  |2 23 
100 1 |a Fountain, Henry,  |e author. 
245 1 4 |a The great quake :  |b how the biggest earthquake in North America changed our understanding of the planet /  |c Henry Fountain. 
250 |a First edition. 
264 1 |a New York :  |b Crown,  |c [2017] 
300 |a vii, 277 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates :  |b illustrations, maps ;  |c 24 cm 
336 |a text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a unmediated  |b n  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a volume  |b nc  |2 rdacarrier 
344 |a digital  |g stereo  |2 rda 
504 |a Includes bibliographical references (pages 248-269) and index. 
505 0 |a Map of Alaska -- Map of the Alaska Earthquake of 1964 -- Altered state -- Under the mountain -- An accident of geography -- Clam broth and beer -- The floating world -- Spiking out -- Before the storm -- Faults -- Shaken -- Stunned -- The barnacle line -- Rebuilding -- Deep thinking -- Acceptance -- Epilogue. 
520 2 |a "In the tradition of Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm, a riveting narrative about the biggest earthquake in recorded history in North America--the 1964 Alaskan earthquake that demolished the city of Valdez and obliterated the coastal village of Chenega--and the scientist sent to look for geological clues to explain the dynamics of earthquakes, who helped to confirm the then controversial theory of plate tectonics. On March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m., the biggest earthquake ever recorded in North America--and the second biggest ever in the world, measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale--struck Alaska, devastating coastal towns and villages and killing more than 130 people in what was then a relatively sparsely populated region. In a riveting tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain, in his first trade book, re-creates the lives of the villagers and townspeople living in Chenega, Anchorage, and Valdez; describes the sheer beauty of the geology of the region, with its towering peaks and 20-mile-long glaciers; and reveals the impact of the quake on the towns, the buildings, and the lives of the inhabitants. George Plafker, a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey with years of experience scouring the Alaskan wilderness, is asked to investigate the Prince William Sound region in the aftermath of the quake, to better understand its origins. His work confirmed the then controversial theory of plate tectonics that explained how and why such deadly quakes occur, and how we can plan for the next one"-- Provided by publisher. 
600 1 0 |a Plafker, George,  |d 1929- 
650 0 |a Alaska Earthquake, Alaska, 1964. 
650 0 |a Earthquakes  |z Alaska  |z Prince William Sound Region  |x History  |y 20th century. 
650 0 |a Earthquake damage  |z Alaska  |z Prince William Sound Region  |x History  |y 20th century. 
650 0 |a Geologists  |z United States  |v Biography. 
650 0 |a Seismology  |z Alaska  |z Prince William Sound Region  |x History  |y 20th century. 
651 0 |a Prince William Sound Region (Alaska)  |x History  |y 20th century. 
651 0 |a Prince William Sound Region (Alaska)  |x Environmental conditions  |x History  |y 20th century. 
655 7 |a Biographies.  |2 lcgft 
994 |a C0  |b PCB 
949 |a HOLT  |b HadNF  |c 551.2209 Fo  |d i  |e 39241503451762  |f 632491  |g ddc  |j 12/20/2017 
999 |a 414817