>> >> which is incredibly long for an earthquake with the

human tragedy and physical damage are dramatically and vividly captured in this book and by henry but on structures and though landscape is only part of the story that henry tells. his book is also a story of how a major natural disaster ginsberg scientific inquiries a map are centers around one individual in particular was a geologist he was not an earthquake expert better ride to the day after the earthquake to investigate what happened in the study that he produced help to confirm that now widely accepted idea of plate tectonics although at the time was controversial and much debated notion i

will not even begin to get into that because you will get more of that from henry in a minute. this is his first book but he is skilled at combining the human interest story with the scientific advancement as a journalist and has been at "the new york times" over two decades as a reporter or editor writing about science for much of that time and for decades he wrote the weekly column observatory it was an editor of the national desk in the sunday review and was one of the first editors with the pioneering technology section. these days he reports on climate change as a whole

group was assigned to cover this issue end in the "los angeles times" called "the great quake" an outstanding work of nonfiction to weave together snapshots so please join me to welcome henry fountain. [applause] >> the surviving meet anybody here in alaska 1964 that experienced the quake? no? i am not surprised. >> we could have been alive but with short-term memory. [laughter] >> people on the east coast don't know much about this but i need to set a timer.

so as he said was a science writer for a long time. at about the 50th anniversary of this earthquake but not really because we don't really write anniversary stories so instead so as noted this happen in march 27th 1964

source started to get emails from the u.s. geological survey which by the way is my favorite agency. they were telling me about the 50th anniversary of the earthquake and all the work done by said geological survey geologically it -- geologist back in the day. i kind of put it aside although i have heard about the quake and i was interested. so the anniversary came and went and did not do a story below and behold four days later there was an earthquake in chalet eight-point to. fortunately there was very little loss of life but there were a couple tsunami is one in hawaii and it made the news so it to my editors

and ordinarily we wouldn't write about the eight-point to earthquake in chile but i could write a story to this id relate to that back to alaska because with the chilean quake happened immediately they referred to it as the mega thruster earthquake the kind that you have one piece of continent and crossed a sliding under another than something breaks the of the friction grows up with the earthquake. so now most people balletomane get thrust earthquake is but the one in japan was making a press. the one that led to the tsunami death in the indian ocean and this eight-point to was the make a thrust earthquakes. but nobody had any clue in

1964 what these were added because of that 64 quake and the work of george that science figured it out he was responsible for figuring it out. it is a sneaky way to do in anniversary story i think my editors thought it was a good idea also they have a hold of the science section the next week so they said go ahead a couple of days after that guided e-mail out of the blue from somebody named roger. i do get emails i think that they're dumb or silly but in this case he said i read your article i thought it was interesting that could make a good book because the narrative than the story of the earthquake with

incredible things and and maybe he is a character to flesh out but i thought that is not a bad idea. and he seemed like a character. and then he said in republish erik larson's book in the south like an eric larson book like me because if you are familiar with him , he is one of the most popular nonfiction writers around. it was for a half minutes. that is the amount of time

that the ground shook during the alaskan earthquake. think about that. by comparison the great 1906 earthquake that shook for about one minute. the earthquake that damaged the bridge shot for maybe 30 seconds at the most. so just to get a sense of the power. >> obviously i am not eric larsen that the book that they thought might the light is a hurry casein galveston texas when there was a

meteorologist at the time so there's no way i will write to the eric larsen booktv near as successful but by mentioning it to became clear to me what kind of book he was talking about perot so with that natural disaster and the science. i also want to talk about two things. in this is anchorage. almost like there is an elevator there. the part of the st. dropped about 10 feet.

>> i didn't know much about it. and then to say there was an earthquake to way science colleagues i would say this story that happened where? alaska. and they say when? ice day 1964 because then what do you talk about? but nobody knew much about it. been to iran is more the thing had ever experienced before. so parts of me was just learning about the earthquake and talking into the people who live through.

i don't know if there are any other authors to write this. >> i found talking to survivors they are not as strong but particularly in a place like alaska so it in littletons -- little towns like valdez they tend to share the stories in that is homogenized. so for me in some ways this is a firsthand account.

but one in particular so her archives are hopeful for perot so people saw stuff they have never seen before. just like the tops of the immelt mountains shattering off rand a landslide or waves vice was breaking up into hundreds of pieces for bring pressure ridges. but the ground with gold like a bubble was thrown into it. so it was amazing. anchorage had a particular problem that underneath this

whale is a layer of clay. during the earthquake it to liquefy and vicki will most white grease. some parts of acreage slid and the collapse. so when that shifted the way there is a hill to the left-handed shifted down the hill and it was also a part of talent that i thought i might read a little bit. the little section. if you want to be out by the airport. there is still a neighborhood out there. they built a pretty nice neighborhood.

in a lot of the town's movers and shakers of those who ran the local paper and is much more than that. he was very involved in the push and also learning how to play the trumpet. with only practiced when nobody was at his house. the news that as an excuse to do break up the trunk and here's what happened. the the house started to rock the she and the leader civil whole house was lurched about. was obvious to add that

large ruth seemed in danger of caving in. and when they stop to look back and then as a giant squeezebox but that did not last long because of forces became too much for the house it broke apart to a terrible ways in the house is contents being crushed. in the with the loss of the worldly possessions. in the ground itself is starting to break some rotating up or down. and then wondered if they could stand anywhere. and then the ground opened beneath his feet of oil was

still light outside but then it was often dry on this land. and started to fill up with other objects. into realize that the ratio and that trees were falling into the crevice. after how long the house stopped moving. it was quiet it let go the trumpet.

that doesn't happen every day. but he managed with the. and they all managed to crawl at of the area where there was some rescuers but there is one indication of the strange thing that has happened so i want to focus a lot. as a populist part of the state and what happens as others will tell you and that was identified with the earthquake and to carry that further really powerful earthquakes happen and where nobody live or do about it.

solyndra betty thought it was the acreage earthquake. but there was only five or six fatalities where those are the ones i wanted to focus on. in their lives a village in hit by a tsunami with a tidal wave so i go into that a lot through some detective work with a one-room school house at the top of the hill they hired teachers to write a state with the bureau of

indian affairs and that year was of a teacher from long beach california. i did one month of detective work to track her down. partly through the use of facebook of all things. so i talk to people about the earthquake to talk about how people's memories of the quake. she had shared memories with that many people. sold her memories are pretty fresh.

plus she took some photos and nobody had ever seen. but a lot of people do even 50 years later. so try to respect their feelings. nobody has heard of this earthquake before they rennet pretty much everybody uses it. so that was the quake itself event i do want to talk about him that people all views about the quake.

and that is what happened 50 years ago. so what is interesting? at the time of the quake there was a debate why this happened and what we come to a totally except this is a bunch of different places. in day move around in relation to each other which we call tectonics. that is a great debate. inventor of thousands of scientists.

and then there was a big debate about the structure of the earth is people always thought the idea that the continents moved around and from the continental drift very prominent people fought there is no way the continent's could move like that. is there is a lot of alternative situations. in with that seafloor spreading with those ridges

in the middle of the ocean and spread apart and it moves very slowly like 2 inches per year in both directions. usually what happens that was accepted what happens to that which reaches the margins? this table lists bought the entire globe is getting slightly bigger which is hard to measure because of the crust allegros 2 inches per year that it is hard to measure to that degree of certainty for crow but dealers side which is gaining more force was a global test and

eventually finds its way basket -- back and then to go bush against the continent and then to create mountains as the material scraped off the sea floor so it was really big. in day 35 year-old geologist working from the alaska of branch in good go out to the alaskan bush with said geologist in the of middle

in the ada to figure out the of mineral resources. >> that geological survey to figure out what happened. >> in alaska because of the though weaker to face in georgia and a few others to alaska and with this survey he went back the next summer

and spent the its tire summer to survey the land change. over the area the size of california. but he measure that all over the course of summer is just one of these things like that is what makes science so incredible with a bs in geology but he saw this change firsthand to see the things that the continents moved around so he looked at it all and to put it to into together.

and figure that out that basically laid out a the megyn thrust earthquake. he was up against prominent people including one in particular who wrote a paper a couple of months before his that was totally the opposite. with that situation not related so george turned out to be right. the great thing about this book in spending time in alaska he lives in northern california. but he still goes to the survey office every day.

and he is still working on the alaska earthquake. as we were going around of copper river delta. with these big alaska and earthquakes so alaska is safe for now. he is amazing. and now they know a lot of seismology but now a guy with a rock or a hammer and a compass. so i believe this in journalism if it is so

important to see things firsthand. i work for a organization that believes in spending money to send people. in the same thing. in that is one thing. but the other thing to celebrate a scientist or science.

because science is not valued. with the strong anti-science sentiment edited is important so george's finally getting the recognition he deserves. for years have been trying to get recognition and. and that was really great. and then to continue celebrating his life and career soared their questions that you want to

ask? [applause] please come to the microphone. >> the key for your kind words and not a geologist i

hasten to add that but i would like to know more about any further detail of his career and how it changed with respect to his stature it was almost instantaneous and with those plate tectonics. and anything further? in the most powerful zero earthquake to ever occur in recorded time for pro in

deal of debt is bigger than the alaskan quake the not was 9.5 so when he laid this out deal the way you could understand this earthquakes --- earthquake is to except eight -- plate tectonics. they said if you think you have it figured out bin shakeout this earthquake and see what you see so he got the grant landed is for less the same thing. did he did that same type of survey worked with this the only way was this low

shallow fault but that paper which was 1967 in some ways was even more influential. so he still did a lot of work in alaska. and then in the fall winter or spring so he does a lot of work but he studied it wasn't an earthquake but it in 1979 and was so taken

that there was a landslide and to go down the mountain and 600 miles an hour. and then that became airborne. with 600 miles an hour in the air seven to figure read exactly what happens. petraeus still owed going strong.

with the frequency of the megyn thrust earthquakes. it was stanford while he was working. and that was through the late '60s. >> i was absolutely astonished by the degree to which they pledged effort to explain the scientific and individual impact of the earthquake. with how little loss of life there was so how beneficial

was earthquake park? into the publication of your book. and got my information about geology from george directly. spending time with him in alaska with the geological survey in we stood on this beach and by 5:40 p.m. 35 feet in the air.

and that was a great place because mandela is the of remnants in those that's all that land that sat above the. and that is the remnants of that. man of the land was tortured. if you're ever in anchorage it is right by their to have a couple of hours between flights is literally write off. >> i am from alaska i left

may 1963. [laughter] i went through a number of them while i was living up there. and immediately in anchorage after the quake you can see that debris going now. and i don't know how to describe it. inundate our only in anchorage proper. is that correct? and though some of the death and certainly that happens the negative% of the death was due to water or the tsunami.

if you can imagine that. and how those conditions are the same and as a pop as the geologists like to say then that would be a major disaster. >> our teachers said if there is an earthquake run outside and told a news. [laughter] -- hold hands. >> officially getting under the doorway is not a good idea. but the idea is to get under something do not run outside

in case something falls on you. they really are not that powerful all of those old buildings without reinforcement people run outside then there is the aftershock. >> so all those at that time the tower was the top of the apartments like death 15 story. and did you can see the tower. in then to be responsible for all those around the world from alaska. >>.

>> one of the things i was curious about in 40 or 50 years? and then you mentioned that when plate tectonics but. >> talked about two different areas, alaska and the pacific northwest. butted is a good question. people are trying to you do that forever and it will not happen but they can forecast probability so if it is based on knowing how frequent they are.

with the pacific northwest now they call of pay leo's seismology. but in the pacific request they discovered through various techniques the very last big earthquake was in 1700. but there was a big tsunami in japan so the return period four earthquakes how often do they occur? so after the last one we don't

know exactly what the possibilities are. so there is a probability to be a major quake on the fault. a one of five chance within 100 years. so that is what they do. and then they say there'll be the 9.5 earthquake on january 15. but they also when they do this forecasting to alert people and those of the pacific northwest area. those that build tsunami shelters those that know what to do in the event of an earthquake.

there are potential problems >> could you tell us briefly about the measurements of earthquakes?. >> at the time of the 64 earthquake debuts to the richter scale who is very famous. and basically measured in not very good measuring earthquakes and is the seismograph. and was overwhelmed by the power of this earthquake.

so they were cowed of better way and that use is all the information to basically compute the power of how much that moose so that 9.5 quake in chile there were sure exactly a of the of magnitude. the tests since gone back and calculated some people think it could be 9.3 but in chile it was 19.5. it actually broke i forget the amount of slip.

so to figure out that amount of energy. that is how it is done. >> he will sign books tonight. is anybody looking at the human cause of earthquakes? and the very heavy reservoir is anybody really looking?. >> these days is largely based on oil and gas it is a the actual fracking process

to break that open so it is like you are exploding but was happens with every barrel of oil you could get 50 of water. this is underground it has picked up radiation so it is slightly radioactive. so we pump that back underground happening in oklahoma some in arkansas and texas almost all of those are related to popping of the waste water.

so the realization so that seems to work even in oklahoma. but your reference is interesting. so to empower the lot of water there are faults everywhere. if you put a lot of weight in the place that will change the equilibrium similarly mining can do the same thing so less weight people are aware there was 18.0 earthquake 25 years ago

. that is by far the biggest the biggest one in the state. and a damaged day couple of houses. and does that have any connection when i have learned on those about earthquakes there is a really much connection.

so i did take six months off without papergirl watching about crime and change it ended is seen as the diamond to disasters or if it is a volcano a couple years ago with a big eruption with the direct connection between climate change. [applause] >> how many plates there are? but there are about a dozen. there is the dozen major ones so what those

geophysicists have learned with tate -- plate tectonics has become accepted. inundated tend to break up and even san andreas fault that everybody knows about is a transform faults of two sections of the plate. there are a dozen big ones and a bunch of small ones.

[inaudible conversations] and. >> the pyramid scheme is the profitability it initially delivering on those promises that later investors put to in to pay off the dividends. and it can last forever because eventually run out of people at the bottom.

so the actual form of that is consistent but almost all of these with the approaches to have somebody in that group to be perpetrated by individuals because they sold the scheme to people like them. so the most famous example is the ponzi scheme because charles ponzi did this in the 1920's focusing on the italian community. but she focused on married women on trust and those to

make good on the promises and once that starts going the chief marketers of the scheme, that is a pattern that has occurred . >> after midnight she called donald trump president-elect and then she called the white house. >> you called the president president?. >> i did. i felt i let the everybody down. >> morning keyman the nation was waiting to hear.

>> a victory speech. our best-- are ahead of us. >> then she thought it was first day as president-elect hillary and bill clinton headed back home to new york >> i felt this the enormous letdown and a loss of feeling and direction and sadness and the bill just kept saying that was a terrific speech to bolster me a little bit then i went into a frenzy of closet cleaning and playing with my dogs and to my share of chardonnay. it was a very hard

transition. i could not feel. i could not think. it was very hard. i was wiped out. >> her book will be released on tuesday by simon & schuster. booktv will cover a discussion between hillary clinton. discussing secretary clinton's presidential campaign in 2016 and in the aftermath. check our web site for more information.

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