Quake Chasers: 15 Women Rocking Earthquake Science

by Lori Polydoros

Overview

Sharing perspectives on their journeys into the physical sciences, these heroes provide readers with advice about overcoming adversity.
 
Quake Chasers: 15 Women Who Rock Earthquake Science explores the lives of 15 diverse, contemporary female scientists with a variety of specialties related to earthquake science.
 
Dr. Debbie Weiser travels to communities post-disaster, such as Japan and China, to evaluate earthquake damage in ways that might help save lives during the next Big One. Geologist Edith Carolina Rojas climbs to the top of volcanoes or searches barren deserts for volcanic evidence to measure seismic activity. Geophysicist Lori Dengler works with the National Weather Service and provided guidance to counties after the 2011 tsunami.
 
With tenacity, intellect, and innovation, these women have crushed obstacles in society, in the lab, and out in the field. Their accomplishments leave aftershocks as they work toward revealing answers to the many riddles that lie behind earthquakes, saving lives by teaching us how to prepare for these terrifying disasters.
 
Young scientists can take away inspiration and advice on following their own dreams like these inspiring women.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798890680037
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/13/2024
Series:	Women of Power
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lori Polydoros has been writing for children for over twenty years and educating for almost thirty. She currently teaches high school and community college English while writing for children. She is the author of books, articles, and short stories for newspapers, magazines, small presses, and educational publishers such as Capstone Press, Houghton-Mifflin, Reading A-Z, Highlights, and the Los Angeles Times Kids’ Reading Room. She lives in Orange, California.
 

Table of Contents

Introduction
 
Part I: SOS: Seismic Earthquake Warning Systems and Hazard Maps
1. Peggy Hellweg, Planting Seismometers
2. Susan Hough, Predicting Earthquakes
3. Clara Yoon, Earthquake Software
4. Debbie Weiser, Earthquake Damage
5. Wendy Bohon, Earthquake Geology
 
Part II: In the Field: On Land, Sea, and Volcanoes
6. Anne Baltay, Earthquakes
7. Valerie Sahakian, Fault Lines
8. Marianne Karplus, Fault Lines
9. Lori Dengler, Tsunamis
10. Carolina Edith Rojas, Volcanoes
 
Part III: Getting Out the Word: Seismic Communication and Education
11. Donyelle Davis, Learning About Volcanoes
12. Kate Long, Earthquake Preparation
13. Jenny Nakai, Geophysicist
14. Beth Bartel, Safety Education
15. Sara K. McBride, Tsunamis Preparation
 
Acknowledgments
Notes
 

Editorial Reviews

“Despite incredible recent advances, much about the science of earthquakes remains puzzling and uncertain. But what this beguiling book makes abundantly clear is that the women studying these terrifying temblors are some of the most inspiring scientists around. Pick up a copy and get to know them.” —Dr. Robin George Andrews, author of Super Volcanoes

“Readers of Quake Chasers meet women who have found a meaningful life in science in a variety of ways. They can see that a career helping people manage earthquakes can be researching how the earth moves or how people respond to that movement, or helping people prepare for that movement. The stories of these women show both a career and a life that can inspire future scientists.” —Dr. Lucy Jones, expert seismologist, founder and chief scientist of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society

"Informative" — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2022-01-15
Each of the women feted here for her trailblazing work in earthquake science has her own profile that interweaves personal history, advice on coping with natural disasters, experiences with gender and racial bias, and related scientific information.

From the introduction onward, the text has a chirpy tone and is prone to overusing such words as amazing and cool. It is an ambitious task to try to inspire young women to pursue STEM studies and careers while also warning them of persistent negative attitudes toward women and people of color in these fields that are dominated by White men. However, this book will succeed in that goal if readers choose to read the biographies in random order rather than straight through from the beginning. By listing her subjects in alphabetical order by surname, the text happens to begin with three women from privileged, supportive families who were precocious young people, acquired advanced degrees and pursued significant careers while confronting misogyny, and who are lauded for their remarkable achievements as mothers as well. This might prove discouraging rather than inspiring to many readers; fortunately, later biographies include women whose backgrounds bring more diversity. The numerous sidebars are the best part of the text, supplementing the cursory details of each individual’s career with scientific terminology and explanations plus historical background. Readers will enjoy each scientist’s top three tips for earthquake preparedness.

Informative but not seismic. (afterword, notes, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

Kirkus Reviews