EARTH 102-6
Earth is Out to Kill You: History and Science of Earthquakes and Volcanoes
In this seminar, we learn about some of the most devastating natural disasters in Earth’s recorded history. We explore the science and the human toll of earthquakes and volcanoes – frequent reminders from our dynamic planet that it has little respect for human life. We cover current events, as exemplified by recent destructions in Haiti and Spain, as well as historical events such as the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755 which kicked off the Age of Enlightenment, and the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in 1815 which led to the Year Without a Summer, and which gave us Dracula and Frankenstein. In the words of Voltaire, bemoaning the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755: “Come, ye philosophers, who cry, “All’s well,” And contemplate this ruin of a world.”