Our Restless Earth

Student Book

Memphis is built on land once the bottom of a sea, Nashville rests within a 600-foot-depth basin eroded from a mighty arch, Knoxville and Chattanooga nestle on lands that have migrates - Knoxville's underpinning traveling all the way from the middle of Sevier County. Our Restless Earth is written for all Tennesseans who are curios about the origins of familiar landscapes. Edward T. Luther describes a state that has attracted specialists from all over the world to study its fascinating geology, a state that in its long east-west axis encompasses nine distinct geologic regions. Appearing here are phenomena such as the New Madrid earthquake that formed Reelfoot lake, the state's almost forgotten gold rush, 60-foot reptiles that once inhabited parts of McNairy County, and the contrary Tennessee River that could not decide which way to flow. The origins of the state's oil, coal, iron, marble, and famous cave country - these too are a part of Our Restless Earth. Edward T. Luther is a native Tennessean whose professional career as a geologist and personal interest in writing have pointed him toward the preparation of this book. Since receiving his advanced degree in geology from Vanderbilt University in 1951, he has come to know that state intimately - first as a team member of the Tennessee Geological Survey and more recently as supervisor of the Survey's research program. He is also an avid reader of fiction and has long been interested in applying writing skills to his technical knowledge in order to make the fascinating science of the earth available to a wider audience.

Provides information about the geologic and meteorologic processes that shape the Earth's environment, reporting on cataclysmic events such as volcanos, earthquakes, and tornadoes, and looking at some of history's most devastating natural disasters.

From epidemics and earthquakes to tornadoes and tidal waves, the overwhelming power of Nature never ceases to instil humankind with both terror and awe. As natural disasters continue to claim human lives and wreak havoc in their wake, Perils of a Restless Planet examines our attempts to understand and anticipate such phenomena. Drawing upon case studies from ancient to present times, this book focuses on scientific inquiry, technological innovation and public policy to provide a lucid and riveting look at natural disasters. While shedding light on the elusive quality of Nature and the limits scientific study and laboratory replication impose on our understanding of her mercurial ways, the author extrapolates from the history of science to suggest how we may someday learn to warn and protect vulnerable populations on our small and tempestuous planet. Anyone interested in the power of Nature will find this book compelling and informative.