Tsunami
Nature and Culture
Richard HamblynAn exploration of the science and culture of tsunamis.
Tsunamis – ferociously dangerous sea waves – have caused widespread destruction to countries, populations and natural landscapes since antiquity. But as Richard Hamblyn demonstrates in this cultural, historical and scientific engagement with these deadly natural events, tsunamis remain little understood.
Tsunami explores how these treacherous sea-surges happen, what makes them so powerful, and what can be done to safeguard vulnerable coastlines. Hamblyn assesses their importance in tsunami-prone regions such as Japan, Hawaii and Chile, while also considering their significance in the more seismically stable western world, where their appearances are mostly limited to popular culture and blockbuster films. From the legend of Atlantis to the violent tsunamis of the present day, this book casts new light on one of the world’s most spectacular and destructive natural phenomena.
An exploration of the science and culture of tsunamis.
Tsunamis – ferociously dangerous sea waves – have caused widespread destruction to countries, populations and natural landscapes since antiquity. But as Richard Hamblyn demonstrates in this cultural, historical and scientific engagement with these deadly natural events, tsunamis remain little understood.
Tsunami explores how these treacherous sea-surges happen, what makes them so powerful, and what can be done to safeguard vulnerable coastlines. Hamblyn assesses their importance in tsunami-prone regions such as Japan, Hawaii and Chile, while also considering their significance in the more seismically stable western world, where their appearances are mostly limited to popular culture and blockbuster films. From the legend of Atlantis to the violent tsunamis of the present day, this book casts new light on one of the world’s most spectacular and destructive natural phenomena.
Preface: The Tsunami Stone
1. Tsunamis in History and Memory
2. The Science of Tsunamis
3. ‘The Hungry Wave’:
Tsunamis in Myth and Legend
4. Tsunamis in Literature, Art and Film
5. Living with Tsunamis:
Warning Systems and Coastal Defence
Tsunami Timeline
References
Select Bibliography
Associations and Websites
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Richard Hamblyn is a lecturer in the department of English, Theatre and Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. An award-winning environmental writer and historian, his previous books include The Invention of Clouds (2001), Terra: Tales of the Earth (2009), The Art of Science (2011), Extraordinary Weather (2012) and Clouds and Tsunami in the Earth series.
