Earthquake Storms

“Much of their enlightenment occurred in California, and the author turns up half a dozen intrepid, eccentric and largely unknown geologists (Grove Gilbert, Andrew Lawson, Charles Richter, Harry Fielding Reid) whose insights began to converge after the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. A fine popular primer on the subject, lucidly written and no more technical than necessary.” -- Kirkus Reviews
“Dvorak has done earthquake science sterling service by writing what is unarguably the best, the most comprehensive and compellingly readable book about the great fault, America's 800 mile long seismic danger zone, that will one day affect all of our lives.” -- Simon Winchester, New York Times Bestselling author of The Crack at the Edge of the World and Krakatoa
“A welcome addition. Its chief strength lies in combining the lives and personalities of key geologists and seismologists, such as Lawson, Charles Richter, John Tuzo Wilson and Kerry Sieh, with the theoretical essentials and practical details of their scientific work, so that the former really do illuminate the latter.” -- Geoscientist Magazine
“A lively key to understanding the nature of faults, quakes, the San Andreas in particular, and the scientists who made stormy careers out of investigating some of the most elusive geologic mysteries in history.” -- Midwest Book Review
“A massive earthquake is overdue at the southern end of the San Andreas Fault. Conditions are right for the Big One to hit a 100-mile segment of the fault that would be felt from San Diego to Los Angeles. But the problem is being able to pinpoint when the quake may strike. . . .” -- NPR
“The real strength of Earthquake Storms is the clear and comprehensive treatment of geology as well as history, and offers a fascinating up-close look at the often overlooked people and stories behind science. Lastly, the book leaves readers in California with a bottom line as sobering as it is unassailable: We might not know exactly what storms lie ahead, but during all of our lifetimes, we have only ever known the lull.” -- Susan Hough, former director of the Seismology Laboratory at CalTech - EARTH Magazine
“Eventually such a release will result in a major earthquake. Dvorak posits that the last 100 years in California have been relatively quiet seismologically, but he notes other major fault systems, such as in Turkey, that were quiet for a period and then released their accumulated stress in a series of major earthquakes—a seismic storm. These storms can last for decades or centuries until the stress is released; the San Andreas Fault may be ripe for such a series. A must read for earthquake buffs—and West Coast residents.” -- Library Journal
“Scientist and author John Dvorak recounts California’s precarious relationship with the tectonic boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. Recommended follow-up reading for all Californians includes any manual on surviving the end of civilization or the zombie apocalypse.” -- Los Angeles Magazine
“Earthquake Storms reads like good sci-fi, with colorful characters making startling discoveries.” -- The Honolulu Star