Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities

Uses the geological record to trace historical and modern views on five mass extinction events, including the disappearance of dinosaurs.

Author: Anthony Hallam

Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand

ISBN: 0192806688

Category: Science

Page: 226

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Uses the geological record to trace historical and modern views on five mass extinction events, including the disappearance of dinosaurs.
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Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities

Another modern catastrophe is indirectly related to magmatic activity in a quite different way. In the Lake Nyos (Cameroon) disaster of 1986, about 1700 people died from asphyxiation when carbon dioxide, suddenly released from the ...

Author: Tony Hallam

Publisher: OUP Oxford

ISBN: 9780191578151

Category: Science

Page: 288

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This is a book about the dramatic periods in the Earth's history called mass extinctions - short periods (by geological standards) when life nearly died out on Earth. The most famous is the mass extinction that happened about 65 million years ago, and that caused the death of the dinosaurs. But that was not the worst mass extinction: that honour goes to the extinction at the end of the Permian Period, about 250 million years ago, when over 90% of life is thought to have become extinct. What caused these catastrophes? Was it the effects of a massive meteorite impact? There is evidence for such an impact about 65 million years ago. Or was it a period of massive volcanic activity? There is evidence in the rocks of huge lava flows at periods that match several of the mass extinctions. Was it something to do with climate change and sea level? Or was it a combination of some or all of these? The question has been haunting geologists for a number of years, and it forms one of the most exciting areas of research in geology today. In this book, Tony Hallam, a distinguished geologist and writer, looks at all the different theories and also what the study of mass extinctions might tell us about the future. If climate change is a key factor, we may well, as some scientists have suggested, be in a period of mass extinction of our own making.
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Evolution

Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities : The Causes of Mass Extinctions . Oxford : Oxford University Press . Hallam , A. , and P. B. Wignall . 1997. Mass Extinctions and Their Aftermath . Oxford : Oxford University Press .

Author: Collin Allen

Publisher: Harvard University Press

ISBN: 067403175X

Category: Science

Page: 979

View: 181

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An introduction to evolutionary biology spans evolutionary science from its inception to its latest findings, covering discoveries, philosophy, and history.
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Catastrophes

Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, and Other Earth-Shattering Disasters Donald R. Prothero. Glikson, A. Y. 2004. ... Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes ofMass Extinctions. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Author: Donald R. Prothero

Publisher: JHU Press

ISBN: 1421401479

Category: Nature

Page: 360

View: 657

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Eerie, fascinating, and often moving, these tales of geologic history and human fortitude and folly will stay with you long after you put the book down.
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The Blessings of Disaster

the heading “On the Disaster Trail”) some of the author's personal anecdotes that could be skipped by those who prefer ... the scenes to improve things, such that future disasters are lesser disasters for each subsequent generation.

Author: Michel Bruneau

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

ISBN: 9781633888241

Category: Nature

Page: 474

View: 293

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Are we doomed? As individuals, certainly, eventually, inevitably. But as a species? As a civilization? Leading catastrophe engineer Michel Bruneau thinks perhaps not. The Blessings of Disaster draws on knowledge from multiple disciplines to illustrate how our civilization’s future successes and failures in dealing with societal threats—be they pandemics, climate change, overpopulation, monetary collapse, and nuclear holocaust—can be predicted by observing how we currently cope with and react to natural and technological disasters. Maybe most importantly, this entertaining and often counter-intuitive book shows how we can think in better ways about disasters, to strengthen and extend our existence as both individuals and as a species. When it comes to rare extreme events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, volcanic eruptions, technological accidents, terrorist attacks, pandemics, and even existential threats, it is in our nature to set ourselves up for disasters because the gamble may be worth it. But only maybe. The Blessing of Disaster is the very real story of the relationship between humans and disasters – and it’s not a simple one. Bringing together his decades-long career spanning the globe as an earthquake and disaster engineer, detailed catastrophe case studies from extreme events like Japan’s Kobe earthquake and category 5 hurricanes in the American South, along with thoughtful and practical solutions, Bruneau provides a thorough examination of the structural challenges that face today’s (and tomorrow’s) world. How we cope with today’s threats is indicative of what the future holds. Contrary to popular forecasts, it is not all gloom and doom – but some of it definitely is.
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Montana Disasters

and Other Catastrophes , Calamities , and Tragedies D nly one earthquake or mine disaster can be the worst in the history of Montana , but to the families of the men , women , and children who were killed in a lesser disaster , it is ...

Author: Molly Searl

Publisher: Pruett Publishing

ISBN: 0871089181

Category: History

Page: 204

View: 628

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"On the other side of the giant landslide, most of the campers were awakened by the heaving and twisting ground....The night was punctuated with cries from people who could not find their family members. One young man was pinned in a sitting position between the family car and trailer, and his father and fellow camper tried frantically to free him as the water rose. Just as the water reached the boy's chin, the trailer shifted enough so that he could be pulled free"--From Chapter One, "The Night the Earth Moved" "Montana Disasters" is a real-life thriller. It will leave you with the breathless sense of how it feels to be caught in mining catastrophes, flash floods, train wrecks, and more. It will expose you to the sorrow and elation of victims' friends and families. Taut with the fury of calamities and the courageous efforts of men and women to save lives, "Montana Disasters" takes you to the scenes where the forces of nature and humans wreaked havoc.
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Megacatastrophes

Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: the Causes of Mass Extinctions (Oxford University Press, 2005). Halpern, Paul. Collider: the Search for the World's Smallest Particles (Wiley, 2010). Irwin, L. N. and Schulze-Makuch, ...

Author: David Darling

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

ISBN: 9781780740270

Category: Science

Page: 224

View: 795

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Acerbic dark humour meets hardcore science in this mind-boggling exploration of the nine worst ways the world could end Which will get us first? The supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park? An asteroid hurtling through outer space? Black holes from CERN gobbling up the solar system? An army of deranged nanobots? Or – who knows – alien invasion? Armed with lavish illustrations and their one-of-a-kind “Catastrophometer”, Dr David Darling and Dr Dirk Schulze-Makuch introduce the disasters you never saw coming, unpicking the science that makes them genuine possibilities, and providing everything from survival tips to danger ratings. So sit back, face the inevitable, and discover the delights of the nine oddest ways the world could end.
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Encyclopedia of Environmental Change

Diacu F (2009) Megadisasters: The science of predicting the next catastrophe. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Hallam T (2004) Catastrophes and lesser calamities: The cause of mass extinction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Author: John A Matthews

Publisher: SAGE

ISBN: 9781473928190

Category: Science

Page: 1496

View: 784

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Accessibly written by a team of international authors, the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change provides a gateway to the complex facts, concepts, techniques, methodology and philosophy of environmental change. This three-volume set illustrates and examines topics within this dynamic and rapidly changing interdisciplinary field. The encyclopedia includes all of the following aspects of environmental change: Diverse evidence of environmental change, including climate change and changes on land and in the oceans Underlying natural and anthropogenic causes and mechanisms Wide-ranging local, regional and global impacts from the polar regions to the tropics Responses of geo-ecosystems and human-environmental systems in the face of past, present and future environmental change Approaches, methodologies and techniques used for reconstructing, dating, monitoring, modelling, projecting and predicting change Social, economic and political dimensions of environmental issues, environmental conservation and management and environmental policy Over 4,000 entries explore the following key themes and more: Conservation Demographic change Environmental management Environmental policy Environmental security Food security Glaciation Green Revolution Human impact on environment Industrialization Landuse change Military impacts on environment Mining and mining impacts Nuclear energy Pollution Renewable resources Solar energy Sustainability Tourism Trade Water resources Water security Wildlife conservation The comprehensive coverage of terminology includes layers of entries ranging from one-line definitions to short essays, making this an invaluable companion for any student of physical geography, environmental geography or environmental sciences.
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The End is Nigh

II: Tankeliv i den lutherske stat (Oslo, 2002) Glantz, M. H., et al., The Politics of Natural Disaster: The Case of the ... 1973) Hallam, T., Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions (Oxford, 2004) Hanska, J., ...

Author: Henrik Svensen

Publisher: Reaktion Books

ISBN: 9781861896834

Category: Science

Page: 224

View: 219

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The Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The South Asian Tsunami of 2004. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Hurricane Katrina in 2005. All of these are natural disasters that not only caused massive devastation but actually changed the course of history, and have influenced our reactions to and perspectives on disasters ever since. Spanning two millennia, The End is Nigh provides a detailed history of natural disasters around the world and how they have shaped our cultural beliefs and our practical planning. Henrik Svensen draws from many eyewitness accounts to reveal the personal stories of the victims of natural disasters. Through them, we are reminded that while the disasters are natural phenomena, victims often react in similar ways seeking to explain the disaster within the context of an omen or a divine warning. A geologist, Svensen also explores the science behind the occurrence of specific disasters, and he examines whether climate change is creating an environment where natural disasters are more frequent and more deadly. The End is Nigh is as instructive as it is insightful and will appeal to fans of history and science, as well as policy makers and all those seeking to better prepare for future calamities. “The End is Nigh is a great example of storytelling across scientific disciplines, and in gripping prose it spans geology, geography and history, anthropology, sociology, and the history of religion.”—Apollon
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Pandora s Garden

Catastrophes and Lesser Calamities: The Causes of Mass Extinctions. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005. Jablonski, David. “The Evolutionary Role of Mass Extinctions: Disaster, Recovery and Something In-between.

Author: Clinton Crockett Peters

Publisher: University of Georgia Press

ISBN: 9780820353203

Category: Nature

Page: 176

View: 562

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Pandora's Garden profiles invasive or unwanted species in the natural world and examines how our treatment of these creatures sometimes parallels in surprising ways how we treat each other. Part essay, part nature writing, part narrative nonfiction, the chapters in Pandora's Garden are like the biospheres of the globe; as the successive chapters unfold, they blend together like ecotones, creating a microcosm of the world in which we sustain nonhuman lives but also contain them. There are many reasons particular flora and fauna may be unwanted, from the physical to the psychological. Sometimes they may possess inherent qualities that when revealed help us to interrogate human perception and our relationship to an unwanted other. Pandora's Garden is primarily about creatures that humans don't get along with, such as rattlesnakes and sharks, but the chapters also take on a range of other subjects, including stolen children in Australia, the treatment of illegal immigrants in Texas, and the disgust function of the human limbic system. Peters interweaves these diverse subjects into a whole that mirrors the evolving and interrelated world whose surprises and oddities he delights in revealing.
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