Monday, November 14, 2005
"Krakatoa"
I finished reading Simon Winchester's book yesterday. I also read his book about the earthquake in San Fransisco in 1906. I must be a frustrated seismologist/volcanologist or something because stuff like that fascinates me. But I am also intrigued by disasters in general, especially ones that seem to define an era.
In the book, Winchester quotes Will Durant ( US Historian, 1885 to 1981 ) who said, "Civilization exists with geological consent, subject to change without notice." I have to agree with that. Many years go by without any large untoward geologic happenings and then a bunch of stuff seems to happen at once. Like in 1906 for instance. The earthquake in San Fransisco was the 5th or 6th large geologic episode ( Mt. Etna erupted, and so did some big volcano in Ecuador or something that I forget the name of ) that year and it was only April! Our planet sometimes feels like pretending to be a cow and we are just the flies.
In the book, Winchester quotes Will Durant ( US Historian, 1885 to 1981 ) who said, "Civilization exists with geological consent, subject to change without notice." I have to agree with that. Many years go by without any large untoward geologic happenings and then a bunch of stuff seems to happen at once. Like in 1906 for instance. The earthquake in San Fransisco was the 5th or 6th large geologic episode ( Mt. Etna erupted, and so did some big volcano in Ecuador or something that I forget the name of ) that year and it was only April! Our planet sometimes feels like pretending to be a cow and we are just the flies.
// posted by Kelley @ 8:55 p.m. 
