03515cam a2200409 i 4500 1164603008 TxAuBib 20170821120000.0 170103s2017||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2016059373 9781101904060 hardback 1101904062 hardback (OCoLC)962873453 DLC eng rda DLC YDX BDX OCLCO OCLCQ TxAuBib rda Fountain, Henry, author. The great quake : how the biggest earthquake in North America changed our understanding of the planet / Henry Fountain. First edition. New York : Crown, [2017] ©2017. vii, 277 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, map ; 24 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references (pages 248-269) and index. 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 -- Epilog. "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. 20170821. Plafker, George 1929- Alaska Earthquake, Alaska, 1964. Earthquakes Alaska Prince William Sound Region History 20th century. Earthquake damage Alaska Prince William Sound Region History 20th century. Geologists United States Biography. Seismology Alaska Prince William Sound Region History 20th century. Prince William Sound Region (Alaska) History 20th century. Prince William Sound Region (Alaska) Environmental conditions History 20th century. TXKIP