The Illustrated History of Natural Disasters
This richly illustrated pictorial history of natural disasters has been composed from a large selection of images of a wide variety of sources, mostly private collections. These include reproductions of rare engravings, maps both old and new, sketches, an
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Jan Kozák
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ˇ Vladimír Cermák
The Illustrated History of Natural Disasters
Jan Kozák Geophysical Institute Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic [email protected]
Vladimír Cˇermák Geophysical Institute Czech Academy of Sciences Prague Czech Republic [email protected]
ISBN 978-90-481-3324-6 e-ISBN 978-90-481-3325-3 DOI 10.1007/978-90-481-3325-3 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2010920318 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Foreword
This book tells the story of the Earth itself, explaining the interplay of its gradual geologicalevolution, presented as a generally slow and safe process, with the sudden manifestations of natural hazards, which involve disasters that affect the environment and lead to huge material damage and human losses. The natural forces at play, whether they are violent explosions ofvolcanic eruptions or almost imperceptible deformations of subsurface rock strata, finallyresulting in devastating earthquakes, all control the existence and destiny of a certain part of the global population. The development of man’s existence down through history has depended upon his understanding of the world in which he lives, and upon his ability to turn to his own best use the materials that were there for the taking. However, he has had not only to furnish himself with food, water, building materials, and energy to protect himself against occasional natural adversities. Protecting himself from them meant comprehending their causes, and the essential core of his understanding was in recording and depicting them. This book is written for anyone interested in the Earth in general, and in natural disasters in particular, presenting a unique collection of historical illustrations of volcanic eruptions and earthquake events and their repercussions. The book represents a golden mean between scientific and popular works. Its general arrangement makes it understandable and attractive for a wide range of mid-level as well as high-level educated readers interested in the earth sciences, ranging from college students to specialists. The impressive variety of historic illustrations depicting catastrophic natural disasters and their impact on human life and civilization throughout the centuries may, in addition to its educational value, also please anyone interested in art and history. The content and arrangement of the book are essentially based on a carefully selected set of large-scale images – reproductions from originals of rare engravings, belongin
