Earthquake Storms

Malcolm Hillgartner's deep, rich voice adds life to Dvorak's stories, which string together an engaging series of science and history anecdotes that focus on the San Andreas Fault. Hillgartner knows his California place names and conveys the thrill of discovery that provides the dynamic for most of the narrative. His delivery is lively without being overdramatic. The San Andreas Fault is a good lens for learning about the development of earth science. Much of the important work done in the last century has had to do with the San Andreas Fault's complex system. However, the title of the book is misleading. The concept of earthquake storms emerges only in the last chapter. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine

January 27, 2014
Dvorak, formerly of the U.S. Geological Survey, treats Californians and other tectonics enthusiasts to an enjoyable history of the Golden State’s earthquakes alongside a bracing look at potential future ones. Dates, locations, magnitudes, and damage figures are all embedded in these stories of quakes and in the stories of those who studied them, like Andrew Lawson, the University of California geology professor who named the San Andreas Fault in 1895, and Charles Richter, developer of the eponymous magnitude scale. Dvorak describes the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and resultant fire via the daring rescue of nearly 1,500 botanical samples and he carefully details where readers may see physical evidence of earthquakes, for instance “a three-foot-high step” between an L.A. fast-food restaurant and its parking lot caused by the 1971 quake. Dvorak has both good news and bad news for Californians: “a major earthquake along the San Andreas Fault will not cause California to fall into the ocean,” but a 2008 report from the Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities has given a 59% chance that a magnitude 6.7 or greater quake will strike the southern segment of the San Andreas Fault within 30 years. Photos.