Early Earthquakes of the Americas was first published in 2004. There is emerging interest amongst researchers from various subject areas in understanding the interplay of earthquake and volcanic occurrences, archaeology and history. This discipline has become known as archeoseismology. Ancient earthquakes often leave their mark in the myths, legends, and literary accounts of ancient peoples, the stratigraphy of their historical sites, and the structural integrity of their constructions. Such information leads to a better understanding of the irregularities in the time-space patterns of earthquake and volcanic occurrences and whether they could have been a factor contributing to some of the enigmatic catastrophes in ancient times. This book focuses on the historical earthquakes of North and South America, and describes the effects those earthquakes have had with illustrated examples of recent structural damage at archaeological sites. It is written at a level that will appeal to students and researchers in the fields of earth science, archaeology, and history.
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Earthquake mosaic of the Americas
3. Myths and legends
4. Earthquake effects
5. Earthquakes of Mexico
6. Earthquakes in the Maya Empire
7. Earthquakes of Costa Rica, Panama and Columbia
8. Earthquakes of Peru and Chile
9. Early California earthquakes
10. Earthquakes of the northern American cordillera
11. Earthquakes of eastern and central North America
12. Conclusions and speculations
Appendix A. Data relating magnitude to extent of Modified Mercalli intensity of VII
Appendix B. Data relating magnitude to extent of Modified Mercalli intensity of > VI, Mexican earthquakes
Appendix C. Rossi–Forel seismic intensity scale
Glossary
Bibliographic summaries
References
Index
"[...] a very companionable initiation into the complexities of teasing out meaningful information on early earthquake experience in the Western Hemisphere. It will serve as a stimulus for anyone who is interested in, and prepared to tackle, the difficult challenges of unravelling the earthquake past in the particular and special circumstances of the Americas."
- Geoscientist
"[...] entertaining, intellectually satisfying, and certainly not short on factual and physical detail."
- James F. Ni, New Mexico State University
"The book is of interest not only to seismologists, but also to those interested in the early history of those regions."
- Journal of Seismology
"[...] [a] scholarly, measured and well illustrated account [...] historians and geophysicists will stand to gain more from an archaeoseismology that is free of geophysical prejudice. This book will undoubtedly accelerate this process."
- Journal of Paleolimnology