Discusses the phenomenon of earthquakes through whose appalling destructive power between twenty and thirty thousand die each year. The primary concern of this book is discovering what causes an earthquake, how the stresses are buailt up under the earth's surface, what the effect is on the terrain and the inferences which can be drawn from his observations as to the nature and structure of the planet. Translated from the French by Patrick O'Brien. Includes photographs and an Index.

(Key Words: Earthquakes, Disasters, C. F. Richter, Seismic Waves, Seismographs, Earth).