Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies [2 volumes]
byAngus M. Gunneditor
;Angus M. Gunn, Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia, is a prolific author, writing on such themes as education, environmental science, and contemporary issues. He came to Canada in 1957 and now resides in West Vancouver, British Columbia.
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eBook
9780313087479
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Citations
MLA
Gunn, Angus M. Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies [2 volumes]. Greenwood, 2007. ABC-CLIO, publisher.abc-clio.com/9780313087479.
Chicago Manual of Style
Gunn, Angus M. Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies [2 volumes]. Greenwood, 2007. http://publisher.abc-clio.com/9780313087479
APA
Gunn, A. M. (2007). Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies [2 volumes]. Retrieved from http://publisher.abc-clio.com/9780313087479
- Description
- Disasters can strike at any time. From the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius to Hurricane Katrina, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters have caused tremendous loss of life, human suffering, and environmental catastrophe. The complex technological and social changes of the last few centuries have not only intensified the impact of such natural disasters, but have added new introduced new reasons to be concerned - plane crashes, bombings, industrial accidents, genocides. Calling some disasters natural and others man-made downplays the important interrelationship between the event and human actions. Human actions - or inactions - can catapult a natural phenomenon into a deadly catastrophe. Likewise, nature can be terribly disrupted by events that are created by humans.Encyclopedia of Disasters covers over 180 of the most important disasters in history. Arranged chronologically, the encyclopedia includes entries on those disasters that have had the greatest historical, environmental, and cultural impact: The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, which destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum; the London Fire of 1666, which flattened much of London and allowed the rebuilding of the city; the influenza epidemic of 1918, which killed millions; the 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake in Alaska, which caused death and destruction as far away as Hawaii; the worst nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1964, that has rendered the surrounding landscape uninhabitable; and the 2004 earthquake that created a tsunami that killed thousands in Sumatra. Each entry includes a list of readings for additional research, and the encyclopedia is illustrated with numerous photos and line illustrations that show the destruction and despair caused by these disasters.
- Reviews/Endorsements
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"Once again Gunn (emer., Univ. of British Columbia) has written a quintessential tome. This encyclopedia equals his prolific earlier works. . . .The Encyclopedia of Disasters presents a descriptive, illustrated account of disasters, both natural and human-induced, that have occurred throughout the world over the last 2,000 years. However, unlike other works that recant the facts and obvious destruction, Gunn identifies three characteristics germane to many disasters and then further advances the belief that understanding, preservation, and minimizing the level of destruction are an integral part of and vital to the preservation of the global environment. This encyclopedia covers more than 180 of the most important and devastating disasters in history. The chronologically arranged entries each include a list of readings for additional research. Readers will find the information presented fascinating, informative, and useful. Highly recommended." -Choice"Disasters--among them earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, floods, pandemic illnesses, landslides, and terrorist attacks--have had a significant impact on the world's people and environment throughout the last 2,000 years. Gunn, an author and professor emeritus in geography and geology, explores both natural and human-induced disasters in this set. . . . In the extensive introduction, Gunn notes that understanding of disasters anywhere in the world is vital to the preservation of our global environment. The focus on understanding causes and consequences makes this a recommended title for academic and public libraries." -BooklistOnce again Gunn has written a quintessential tome. This encyclopedia equals his prolific earlier works: Patterns in World Geography (1968), Habitat: Human Settlements in an Urban Age (1978), and Impact of Geology on the United States (CH, Apr'02, 39-4319). The Encyclopedia of Disasters presents a descriptive, illustrated account of disasters, both natural and human-induced, that have occurred throughout the world over the last 2,000 years. However, unlike other works that recant the facts and obvious destruction, Gunn identifies three characteristics germane to many disasters and then further advances the belief that understanding, preservation, and minimizing the level of destruction are an integral part of and vital to the preservation of the global environment. This encyclopedia covers more than 180 of the most important and devastating disasters in history. The chronologically arranged entries each include a list of readings for additional research. Readers will find the information presented fascinating, informative, and useful. Highly recommended. All levels. -ChoiceFor this guide, geographer Angus Gunn examines the significance of 184 natural and human disasters….this sweeping survey of human tragedies will satisfy the morbid curiosity of readers in a wide range of libraries, from high school to academic. -Lawrence Looks at Books"The book is a fascinating read, and libraries will want to add this title to their general reading collections." -ARBA
- Table of Contents
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Table of Contents
Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies [2 volumes]
Author(s): Gunn, Angus M.Contributors: Gunn, Angus;Abstract: Disasters can strike at any time. From the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius to Hurricane Katrina, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters have caused tremendous loss of life, human suffering, and environmental catastrophe. The complex technological and social changes of the last few centuries have not only intensified the impact of such natural disasters, but have added new introduced new reasons to be concerned - plane crashes, bombings, industrial accidents, genocides. Calling some disasters natural and others man-made downplays the important interrelationship between the event and human actions. Human actions - or inactions - can catapult a natural phenomenon into a deadly catastrophe. Likewise, nature can be terribly disrupted by events that are created by humans.Encyclopedia of Disasters covers over 180 of the most important disasters in history. Arranged chronologically, the encyclopedia includes entries on those disasters that have had the greatest historical, environmental, and cultural impact: The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, which destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum; the London Fire of 1666, which flattened much of London and allowed the rebuilding of the city; the influenza epidemic of 1918, which killed millions; the 1964 Prince William Sound earthquake in Alaska, which caused death and destruction as far away as Hawaii; the worst nuclear power plant accident in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1964, that has rendered the surrounding landscape uninhabitable; and the 2004 earthquake that created a tsunami that killed thousands in Sumatra. Each entry includes a list of readings for additional research, and the encyclopedia is illustrated with numerous photos and line illustrations that show the destruction and despair caused by these disasters.Editor(s): Gunn, Angus;SortTitle: encyclopedia of disasters: environmental catastrophes and human tragedies [2 volumes]Author Info:Angus M. Gunneditor;Angus M. Gunn, Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia, is a prolific author, writing on such themes as education, environmental science, and contemporary issues. He came to Canada in 1957 and now resides in West Vancouver, British Columbia.eISBN-13: 9780313087479Cover Image URL: ~~FreeAttachments/9780313087479.jpgPrint ISBN-13: 9780313340024Entry Code: EGR4002Imprint: GreenwoodPages: 824Publication Date: 20071230Subtitle: Environmental Catastrophes and Human TragediesTable of Contents pages: 1 2
- Cover Cover11
- ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DISASTERS i2
- Title iii4
- Copyright iv5
- Contents v6
- Credits for Illustrations xi12
- Guide to Thematic Entries xvii18
- Preface xxiii24
- Acknowledgments xxvii28
- Introduction xxix30
- Volume 1 166
- 1. Supervolcano Toba, Indonesia, 74000 BC 166
- 2. Rome, Italy, fire, 64 570
- 3. Pompeii, Italy, volcanic eruption, 79 1176
- 4. Alexandria, Egypt, tsunami, 365 1782
- 5. Antioch, Syria (now Antakya, Turkey), earthquake, 526 2186
- 6. Constantinople, Byzantine Empire, Black Death plague, 542 2691
- 7. Corinth, Greece, earthquake, 856 3297
- 8. Damghan, Persia, earthquake, 856 3499
- 9. Aleppo, Syria, earthquake, 1138 38103
- 10. Shaanxi, China, earthquake, 1556 41106
- 11. Arequipa, Peru, volcanic eruption, 1600 46111
- 12. London, England, Black Death plague, 1665 52117
- 13. London, England, fire, 1666 58123
- 14. Port Royal, Jamaica, earthquake, 1692 63128
- 15. Cascadia earthquake, 1700 68133
- 16. Lisbon, Portugal, earthquake and tsunami, 1755 75140
- 17. Massachusetts offshore earthquake, 1755 81146
- 18. Bengal, India, famine, 1770 83148
- 19. Connecticut earthquake, 1791 88153
- 20. New Madrid, Missouri, earthquakes, 1811 and 1812 90155
- 21. West Ventura, California, earthquake, 1812 95160
- 22. Tambora, Indonesia, volcanic eruption, 1815 98163
- 23. Natchez, Mississippi, tornado, 1840 103168
- 24. Fort Tejon, California, earthquake, 1857 106171
- 25. Calcutta, India, cyclone, 1864 111176
- 26. Kau, Hawaii, earthquake, 1868 114179
- 27. Chicago, Illinois, fire, 1871 119184
- 28. Owens Valley, California, earthquake, 1872 122187
- 29. Bangladesh cyclone, 1876 124189
- 30. Marshfield, Missouri, tornado, 1880 126191
- 31. Georgia/South Carolina hurricane, 1881 128193
- 32. Haiphong, Vietnam, typhoon, 1881 130195
- 33. Krakatau, Indonesia, volcanic eruption, 1883 132197
- 34. Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake, 1886 137202
- 35. Yellow River, China, flood, 1887 141206
- 36. Johnstown, Pennsylvania, flood, 1889 145210
- 37. Louisville, Kentucky, tornado, 1890 151216
- 38. Japan earthquake, 1891 153218
- 39. Imperial Valley, California, earthquake, 1892 155220
- 40. Georgia/South Carolina hurricane, 1893 156221
- 41. Louisiana hurricane, 1893 158223
- 42. St. Louis, Missouri, tornado, 1896 160225
- 43. Sanriku, Japan, earthquake and tsunami, 1896 163228
- 44. Assam, India, earthquake, 1897 165230
- 45. Eureka, California, earthquake, 1899 168233
- 46. New Richmond, Wisconsin, tornado, 1899 169234
- 47. Yakutat, Alaska, earthquake, 1899 171236
- 48. Galveston, Texas, hurricane, 1900 176241
- 49. Cook Inlet, Alaska, earthquake, 1901 181246
- 50. Mount Pelee volcanic eruption, 1902 186251
- 51. Goliad, Texas, tornado, 1902 192257
- 52. Santa Maria, Guatemala, volcanic eruption, 1902 195260
- 53. Turtle Mountain, Alberta, Canada, landslide, 1903 197262
- 54. Chicago, Illinois, fire, 1903 202267
- 55. St. Petersburg, Russia, revolution, 1905 209274
- 56. Mongolia earthquake, 1905 215280
- 57. San Francisco, California, earthquake, 1906 217282
- 58. Socorro 1, New Mexico, earthquake, 1906 224289
- 59. Socorro 2, New Mexico, earthquake, 1906 226291
- 60. Ecuador offshore earthquake, 1906 228293
- 61. Monongah, Pennsylvania, explosion 1907 231296
- 62. Amite, Louisiana, tornado, 1908 236301
- 63. Louisiana hurricane, 1909 238303
- 64. Oregon earthquake, 1910 241306
- 65. Titanic iceburg tragedy, 1912 243308
- 66. Katmai, Alaska, volcanic eruption, 1912 250315
- 67. Omaha, Nebraska, tornado, 1913 256321
- 68. Texas hurricane, 1915 258323
- 69. Pleasant Valley, Nevada, earthquake, 1915 260325
- 70. Mattoon, Illinois, tornado, 1917 263328
- 71. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, explosion, 1917 265330
- 72. World-wide flu pandemic, 1918–1919 270335
- 73. Mona Passage, Puerto Rico, earthquake, 1918 276341
- 74. Vancouver Island, Canada, earthquake, 1918 279344
- 75. Kelud, Indonesia, volcanic eruption, 1919 281346
- 76. Florida/Gulf of Mexico hurricane, 1919 283348
- 77. Humboldt, California, earthquake, 1923 286351
- 78. Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake, 1923 288353
- 79. Tokyo, Japan, earthquake, 1923 291356
- 80. Charlevoix, Quebec, earthquake, 1925 296361
- 81. Illinois/Indiana/Missouri tornado, 1925 299364
- 82. Clarkston Valley, Montana, earthquake, 1925 302367
- 83. Santa Barbara, California, earthquake, 1925 305370
- 84. Florida hurricane, 1926 307372
- 85. Lompoc, California, earthquake, 1927 310375
- 86. St. Francis Dam failure, 1928 312377
- 87. Lake Okeechobee hurricane, 1928 316381
- 88. Stock Market Collapse, 1929 319384
- 89. Grand Banks, Nova Scotia, earthquake, 1929 324389
- 90. Ukraine catastrophe, 1932 326391
- 91. Nevada earthquake, 1932 331396
- 92. Sanriku, Japan, earthquake, 1933 333398
- 93. Baffin Bay, Canada, earthquake, 1933 335400
- 94. Bihar, India, earthquake, 1934 337402
- 95. Quetta earthquake, 1935 340405
- 96. Labor Day hurricane 1935 343408
- 97. Gainesville tornado, 1936 345410
- 98. Hindenburg crash, 1937 347412
- 99. Nanking massacre, 1937 353418
- Volume 2 359424
- 100. New England hurricane, 1938 359424
- 101. Imperial Valley, California, earthquake, 1940 364429
- 102. Paricutin, Mexico, volcanic eruption, 1943 366431
- 103. San Juan, Argentina, earthquake, 1944 371436
- 104. Shinnston, West Virginia, tornado, 1944 373438
- 105. Northeast United States hurricane, 1944 375440
- 106. Cleveland, Ohio, gas explosion, 1944 377442
- 107. Hiroshima, Japan, nuclear bomb, 1945 383448
- 108. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, nuclear tests, 1946 389454
- 109. Unimak, Alaska, tsunami, 1946 396461
- 110. Vancouver Island, Canada, earthquake, 1946 399464
- 111. Nankaido, Japan, earthquake, 1946 402467
- 112. Woodward, Oklahoma, tornado, 1947 404469
- 113. Texas City, Texas, explosion, 1947 406471
- 114. Puget Sound, Washington, earthquake, 1949 412477
- 115. Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada, earthquake, 1949 414479
- 116. Assam, India, earthquake, 1950 417482
- 117. Kern County, California, earthquake, 1952 419484
- 118. Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake, 1952 422487
- 119. London, England, suffocating smog, 1952 425490
- 120. Netherlands (Holland) flood, 1953 431496
- 121. Waco, Texas, tornado, 1953 436501
- 122. Flint, Michigan, tornado, 1953 438503
- 123. Fallon-Stillwater, Nevada, earthquake, 1954 441506
- 124. Thalidomide drug tragedy, 1957 444509
- 125. Lituya Bay, Alaska, earthquake, 1958 449514
- 126. West Yellowstone, Montana, earthquake, 1959 451516
- 127. Japan typhoon, 1959 456521
- 128. Chile earthquake, 1960 459524
- 129. New York City, New York, mid-air collision, 1960 464529
- 130. Tristan da Cunha volcanic eruption, 1961 470535
- 131. Vaiont Dam, Italy, collapse, 1963 475540
- 132. Prince William Sound, Alaska, earthquake, 1964 479544
- 133. Hurricane Betsy, 1965 484549
- 134. Aberfan, South Wales, Britain, landslide, 1966 487552
- 135. Hurricane Camille, 1969 493558
- 136. Peru earthquake, 1970 497562
- 137. Bangladesh cyclone, 1970 501566
- 138. Iraq mercury poisoning, 1971 503568
- 139. Hurricane Agnes, 1972 508573
- 140. Munich, Germany, terrorism, 1972 510575
- 141. Managua, Nicaragua, earthquake, 1972 515580
- 142. Iceland volcanic eruption, 1973 518583
- 143. Brisbane, Australia, flood, 1974 521586
- 144. Kalapana, Hawaii, earthquake, 1975 525590
- 145. Guatemala earthquake, 1976 528593
- 146. Teton Dam, Idaho, collapse, 1976 531596
- 147. Seveso, Italy, dioxin spill, 1976 536601
- 148. Tangshan, China, earthquake, 1976 541606
- 149. France oil spill, 1978 545610
- 150. Love Canal, New York, contamination, 1978 549614
- 151. Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania, nuclear accident, 1979 554619
- 152. Mount St. Helens, Washington, volcanic eruption, 1980 559624
- 153. Canada, sinking of oil platform, 1982 565630
- 154. Coalinga, California, earthquake, 1983 569634
- 155. Bhopal, India, gas poisoning, 1984 572637
- 156. Air terrorism, 1985 577642
- 157. Mexico earthquake, 1985 582647
- 158. Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia, volcanic eruption, 1985 584649
- 159. Challenger (space shuttle), Florida, fire/explosion, 1986 587652
- 160. Chernobyl, Ukraine, nuclear accident, 1986 591656
- 161. Armenia earthquake, 1988 596661
- 162. Alaska oil spill, 1989 598663
- 163. Tiananmen Square, China, massacre, 1989 604669
- 164. Loma Prieta, California, earthquake, 1989 608673
- 165. Persian Gulf oil inferno, 1991 611676
- 166. Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, volcanic eruption, 1991 615680
- 167. Hurricane Andrew, 1992 619684
- 168. New York City, New York, terrorism, 1993 623688
- 169. Northridge, California, earthquake, 1994 628693
- 170. Rwanda genocide, 1994 631696
- 171. Kobe, Japan, earthquake, 1995 639704
- 172. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, terrorism, 1995 642707
- 173. Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, genocide, 1995 652717
- 174. Red River flood, 1997 658723
- 175. Hurricane Floyd, 1999 661726
- 176. Peru offshore earthquake, 2001 664729
- 177. Nine Eleven, New York City, New York, terrorism, 2001 666731
- 178. United States anthrax terrorism, 2001 672737
- 179. Sumatra, Indonesia, earthquake and tsunami, 2004 676741
- 180. Northern California offshore earthquake, 2005 682747
- 181. Hurricane Katrina, 2005 686751
- 182. Pakistan earthquake, 2005 696761
- 183. Taiwan earthquake, 2006 698763
- 184. Greensburg, Kansas, tornado, 2007 701766
- Appendix 1: USGS List of Worldwide Earthquakes (1500–2007) 705770
- Appendix 2: U.S. Natural Environments 716781
- Appendix 3: World’s Deadliest Disasters 720785
- Appendix 4: Measuring Natural Disasters 723788
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