Engineering Seismology, Geotechnical and Structural Earthquake Engineering

Seismology is the study of seismic waves, which may also be called shock waves. It is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake environmental effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic, atmospheric, and artificial processes. A seismic wave is energy that moves through the Earth as a result of an earthquake. Some seismic waves can be felt by the people on Earths surface and some cannot. Those that can be felt often cause damage and sometimes death. Seismologists use special instruments in their work called seismographs. These machines record seismic waves. They are usually capable of detecting and amplifying the slightest movements of the ground. Studying seismology generally involves two types of shock waves. There are push waves, which result when an inner Earth structure moves forward. Then, there are torsion waves, which result when particles are twisted between sliding inner structures. Accessing characteristics such as the time and speed of these waves can allow seismologists to gain valuable information such as the distance or severity of an earthquake. Seismology is also credited for giving people an accurate base of knowledge about the inner layers of the Earth. The mitigation of earthquake-related hazards represents a key role in the modern society. The mitigation of such kind of hazards spans from detailed studies on seismicity, evaluation of site effects, and seismo-induced landslides, tsunamis as well as and the design and analysis of structures to resist such actions. The study of earthquakes ties together science, technology and expertise in infrastructure and engineering in an effort to minimize human and material losses when they inevitably occur. The book Engineering Seismology, Geotechnical and Structural Earthquake Engineering deals with different topics aiming to mitigate geo-hazards such as: Seismic hazard analysis, Seismic design, assessment and remediation, Earthquake physics and soil-structure interaction analysis.