Great Shakes: The Science of Earthquakes

If you've ever experienced the shake, rattle and roll of an earthquake, even a small one, you know just how scary they can be. The severity of the quake can depend on many factors according to this book. Where the quake takes place, the population in the area, what time the quake happens and the type of ground in which it occurs are a few major ones. Scientists who study earthquakes, seismologists, study the many different issues surrounding quakes. Many have heard about the Richter scale for measuring earthquakes, but not as many know about the Mercalli scale, which "describes the destruction an earthquake causes" and has 12 categories. Did you know the strongest earthquake ever measured had a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale? You'll read about that one and several other very destructive quakes in this book. You'll learn all kinds of things from what causes of earthquakes, plate tectonics, the Ring of Fire, geophysicists and the EarthSscope, how scientists determine the epicenter of a quake, artificial earthquakes, safety measures to when scientists are predicting the big quake. This was a fascinating read. It is technical enough to be used as a school report source or can be read for fun. There are photographs, charts, sidebars, a timeline, glossary, an index and additional recommended source materials. If the student uses Facthound and puts in the book code, he will find five books and three additional kid friendly web sites to browse. Did you know that in the year 2005 children in Ruichang, China held school outside to protect themselves against aftershocks? If you think that is unusual you'll read about the children in Japan who wear flameproof hoods! You'll have to read to book to find out why!