Earthquake Storms

The Fascinating History and Volatile Future of the San Andreas Fault

By: John Dvorak

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The lives of millions will be changed after it breaks, and yet so few people understand it, or even realize it runs through their backyard. Dvorak reveals the San Andreas Fault's fascinating history - and its volatile future.

It is a prominent geological feature that is almost impossible to see unless you know where to look. Hundreds of thousands of people drive across it every day. The San Andreas Fault is everywhere - and primed for a colossal quake. For decades scientists have warned that such a sudden shifting of the Earth's crust is inevitable. In fact, it is a geologicn ecessity.

The San Andreas Fault runs almost the entire length of California, from the redwood forest to the east edge of the Salton Sea. Along the way, it passes through two of the largest urban areas of the country - San Francisco and Los Angeles. Dozens of major highways and interstates cross it. Scores of housing developments have been planted over it. The words San Andreas are so familiar today that they have become synonymous with earthquake.

Yet few people understand the San Andreas or the network of subsidiary faults it has spawned. Some run through Hollywood, others through Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. The Hayward Fault slices the football stadium at the University of California in half. Even among scientists, few appreciate that the San Andreas Fault is a transient, evolving system that, as seen today, is younger than the Grand Canyon and key to our understanding of earthquakes worldwide.

©2014 John Dvorak (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

Interesting book on earthquakes

I enjoyed this book. Excellent history on California earthquakes and the study of earthquakes. One error noted. Reference to Alaska as the "50th state."

Interesting and Terrifying

California and the western states are shown to be geologically active. Focusing on the scientists and scientific discoveries that explain the ancient and recent earthquakes along the San Andreas fault, the reader is led to a frightening conclusion. The narrator is excellent as well.

Excellent history of the study of earthquakes

I have recently become interested in earthquakes...how they happen, why they happen. I've watched every documentary and lecture I could find online and stumbled across this book while browsing Audible. I don't regret the purchase or time spent listening one bit. The only part that got a little "long in the tooth" was the part that dealt with the 1906 San Fran earthquake but this is easily forgiven because I realize the author was attempting to "take you there" which he did quite well.
The rest of the book goes over the science of earthquakes which is a relatively new science. I found it interesting how "settled science" was overturned again and again. Those who helped establish what we all now consider Earthquake 101 all had to overcome criticism and outright hostility from fellow scientists. The author helps you realize just how new our understanding of earthquakes really is. He further debunks the science of earthquake prediction.
It is vitally important that you begin listening to this book with an open mind and be willing to admit that what you thought was fact just might be wrong.
The final chapter was really fascinating to me because he goes over areas along the San Andreas where they are very overdue. I listened to this part just a few days before the Salton Sea area was hit by a massive swarm of quakes.
A great follow-up to this would be the lecture given by Nick Zentner entitled Great Earthquakes of the Pacific Northwest, you can find it on Youtube. He also puts to rest many false "facts" of earthquakes.
You can buy this book with confidence that you will NOT regret it.

Earthquake nerd heaven!

I have lost track of the times I have listened to this book! So interesting and a must listen for earthquake/ earth science lovers!

Fascinating!

Written in a fluid, accessible story telling style, I found this book to be fascinating, especially for a Californian. It helped me better understand the shifting earth upon which I have lived most of my life. I am thinking, however, that having listened to it, I now want to buy it in hard copy form so that I can re-read the descriptions when I travel to the specific locations described.

Very nice

This book comes closer to answering my questions about the big one than any other thing I have ever read. It is a solid entertaining book and the reading performance is just right. I recommend it.

Groundbreaking (Get it) 😄

Such an interesting and intriguing topic and covering of the subject matter. Loved learning the history and studies of earthquakes.

Very interesting and informative

This book had my spouse and I riveted. Having grown up in CA, it made us want to revisit many of the places in the book so that we can follow along with the narrator as he explains the natural features and processes.

The author goes into great detail on the personalities of the early scientists studying the fault. I didn’t expect to be so entertained by these often highly unusual characters. But the book never gets bogged down with too many details or segues. It stays cohesive throughout.

As to the science, the author manages to keep it simple enough that those who are not familiar with earthquakes or California’s geography would have no trouble understanding. For those who are more familiar though, there is still plenty of interesting information and ample examples down to very detailed, local levels.

Great book and great narration.

A good read about the ground below

Even folks that are avid rock hunters will get a lot out of this book. It's a wonderful Sunday afternoon listen.

Relevant to family history

Since much of my & my family family history for the past @ 100 years has been centered in California & since a good bit of that has been very close to San Andreas fault zones, I found this fascinating. If you’re interested in geology, history, science you might enjoy this, as well. Really liked the historical backgrounds on Richter, etc. Ended up giving a hard copy to a son who adores and lives in our CA desert within easy hikes from the plate’s edges. I’m quite interested in plate tectonics and in hiking in the fault areas, so right up my alley.