Natural Disasters in a Global Environment [Hardcover]

Natural Disasters in a Global Environment is a transnational, global and environmental history of natural and man-made disasters. Detailed case studies of past and present events are presented in a historical narrative, making use of the most recent scholarship.

• Examines a range of disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, landslides, hurricanes, famines, and more
• Highlights the role of science in studying natural disasters and describes the mechanisms responsible for them
• Features a range of case studies which can be used in conjunction with one another or as standalone examples
• Covers scientific material in a lucid and accessible style suited to  undergraduate students or those outside of scientific disciplines
• Traces the transition of our understanding of disasters, from religious and superstitious explanations to contemporary scientific accounts

List of figures x

Preface xii

Acknowledgments xiv

Introduction 1

PART 1 INTERNAL PROCESSES 11

1 Supervolcanoes 13

Introduction 13

The Mt. Toba Eruption (73,000 BP) 15

The Thera (Santorini) Eruption in the Aegean Sea (1600 BCE) 20

Mt. Tambora (1815) and Krakatau (1883) 25

The Mt. Pinatubo Eruption (1991) 28

A Threatening Future Scenario 32

Summary 33

Notes 35

Further Reading 37

2 Earthquakes 38

Introduction 38

The San Francisco Earthquake (1906) 39

The Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) 48

The Haitian Earthquake (2010) 56