Preface

Earthquakes are the major geological hazards, which pose serious threat to the human pop‐ ulation and various infrastructures such as highways, rail routes, and civil structures like dams, buildings, and others.

The idea that earthquakes could occur is frightening people in every area prone to such phe‐ nomena. That is because the effects of earthquakes can be devastating, leaving thousands of people without homes and threatening their lives.

Earthquakes often occur together with other natural disasters such as landslides, volcanoes, and tsunamis. Earthquakes play a role of triggering mechanism of landslides and tsunamis.

Mountainous and coastal areas are the regions mostly affected by earthquakes, but that does not mean that the other areas are safe.

When an earthquake occurs in mountainous and coastal areas, the risks of a landslide grow tremendously. Ground shaking allows water to rapidly infiltrate between ground layers and make these layers slide on one another. Ground shaking also causes widespread rock falls.

Earthquakes cause huge damage in the world and kill many people each year. In order to understand this phenomenon better and eventually protect ourselves from its destructive action, people should be aware of how earthquakes arise and how they act.

Depending on the location and type of human activity, the earthquake effect could be less‐ ened. People should know hazard zones and avoid activities in such areas.

For systematic analysis of earthquake hazards, it is fruitful to use the notion of risk.

Geological risk is a relatively new and not fully explored concept. There are many defini‐ tions of geological risk. And often scientific study or scientific approach to the problem be‐ gins with a presentation of the author's position and the choice of the definition of geological risk for the problem under consideration. One of the most common approaches defines that risk is the expectation of the damage, or risk is the product of the probability of possible hazardous events on the damage produced by it.

It is the responsibility of the local governments to establish rules meant to reduce the effects of eventual earthquakes. Land-use regulations and policies are required in areas that are prone to earthquakes.

Apocalyptic images of earthquakes should make local governments pay more attention to the forecasting of such natural phenomena. It is important for a local government to know which areas are prone to earthquakes and take appropriate measures in order to reduce vul‐ nerability to such hazards.

Vulnerability to earthquakes depends on location, frequency of earthquakes, type of human activity in the area, and other factors.

This book addresses principles, concepts, and paradigms of earthquakes, as well as opera‐ tional terms, materials, tools, techniques, and methods including processes, procedures, and

• equips professionals and others with a formal understanding of earthquake hazards

• clarifies the similarities or differences in fundamental concepts and principles in the

• explains the relevance and application of primary tools and practices in earthquake

• directs geologists, engineers, architects, planners, teachers, students, and others in‐

• captures the wide range of expanding disciplinary activities under a single umbrella

**Dr Svalova Valentina**

Moscow, Russia

Preface XI

Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience Russian Academy of Sciences (IEG RAS)

terested in the earthquake discipline to authoritative and vetted sources

of earthquake hazard, disaster, and risk concept.

implications. This book

and risk topics

discipline

risk study

The effects on people and buildings can be lessened if hazardous areas are avoided or if activities in such areas are restricted or deployed under certain conditions. Local govern‐ ments are responsible for land-use policies and other regulations meant to reduce the risks of living in dangerous places.

Exposure to hazards may be reduced if individuals educate themselves on the past history of these phenomena. Departments of local governments that are responsible for planning and engineering may help a lot with their advice.

People can also benefit from the professional services of engineering geologists, civil engi‐ neers, or geotechnical engineers who are all qualified to evaluate the potential risk of a haz‐ ardous site.

Due to the huge losses that earthquakes imply, their prediction is of maximum importance for all the people living in the area of hazard.

An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy in the *Earth's lithosphere* that creates *seismic waves*. Earthquakes can range in size from those that are so weak that they cannot be felt to those violent enough to toss people around and destroy the whole cities.

At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displace‐ ment of the ground. When the *epicenter* of a large earthquake is located offshore, the seabed may be displaced sufficiently to cause a *tsunami*. Earthquakes can also trigger *landslides* and occasionally volcanic activity.

Earthquakes are caused not only by rupture of geological *faults* but also by other events such as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and *nuclear tests*.

Earthquakes lead to serious disruption of the normal functioning of a society causing wide‐ spread human, material, economic, or environmental losses. A disaster results from the combination of earthquake, conditions of vulnerability, and insufficient capacity or meas‐ ures to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk and exposure.

Millions of human lives are lost due to earthquakes, and property damage has exceeded hun‐ dreds of billions USD. It is not possible to make reliable earthquake forecasts now, but there exist a few successful examples. It is possible to estimate the vulnerability of territories to the possible earthquake hazard, and means are available to develop earthquake resilient societies.

'Earthquake early warning' is the rapid detection of earthquakes in progress and alerting people of the ground shaking that could be hazardous. Application of this technique has demonstrated its usefulness. Developing earthquake scenarios, as what would happen if an earthquake repeats, where it had occurred in the past, is also very effective in developing earthquake resilient societies.

This book addresses the multidisciplinary topic of earthquake hazards and risk, one of the fastest growing, relevant, and applied fields of research and study practiced within the geo‐ sciences and environment.

This book addresses principles, concepts, and paradigms of earthquakes, as well as opera‐ tional terms, materials, tools, techniques, and methods including processes, procedures, and implications.

This book

Vulnerability to earthquakes depends on location, frequency of earthquakes, type of human

The effects on people and buildings can be lessened if hazardous areas are avoided or if activities in such areas are restricted or deployed under certain conditions. Local govern‐ ments are responsible for land-use policies and other regulations meant to reduce the risks

Exposure to hazards may be reduced if individuals educate themselves on the past history of these phenomena. Departments of local governments that are responsible for planning

People can also benefit from the professional services of engineering geologists, civil engi‐ neers, or geotechnical engineers who are all qualified to evaluate the potential risk of a haz‐

Due to the huge losses that earthquakes imply, their prediction is of maximum importance

An earthquake is the shaking of the surface of the Earth, resulting from the sudden release of energy in the *Earth's lithosphere* that creates *seismic waves*. Earthquakes can range in size from those that are so weak that they cannot be felt to those violent enough to toss people

At the Earth's surface, earthquakes manifest themselves by shaking and sometimes displace‐ ment of the ground. When the *epicenter* of a large earthquake is located offshore, the seabed may be displaced sufficiently to cause a *tsunami*. Earthquakes can also trigger *landslides* and

Earthquakes are caused not only by rupture of geological *faults* but also by other events such

Earthquakes lead to serious disruption of the normal functioning of a society causing wide‐ spread human, material, economic, or environmental losses. A disaster results from the combination of earthquake, conditions of vulnerability, and insufficient capacity or meas‐

Millions of human lives are lost due to earthquakes, and property damage has exceeded hun‐ dreds of billions USD. It is not possible to make reliable earthquake forecasts now, but there exist a few successful examples. It is possible to estimate the vulnerability of territories to the possible earthquake hazard, and means are available to develop earthquake resilient societies. 'Earthquake early warning' is the rapid detection of earthquakes in progress and alerting people of the ground shaking that could be hazardous. Application of this technique has demonstrated its usefulness. Developing earthquake scenarios, as what would happen if an earthquake repeats, where it had occurred in the past, is also very effective in developing

This book addresses the multidisciplinary topic of earthquake hazards and risk, one of the fastest growing, relevant, and applied fields of research and study practiced within the geo‐

activity in the area, and other factors.

and engineering may help a lot with their advice.

for all the people living in the area of hazard.

as volcanic activity, landslides, mine blasts, and *nuclear tests*.

ures to reduce the potential negative consequences of risk and exposure.

around and destroy the whole cities.

occasionally volcanic activity.

earthquake resilient societies.

sciences and environment.

of living in dangerous places.

ardous site.

X Preface


**Dr Svalova Valentina**

Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience Russian Academy of Sciences (IEG RAS) Moscow, Russia

**Section 1**

**Earthquake Disasters**

**Section 1**
