1. Darwin and plate tectonics
1.1. Darwin feels an earthquake
1.2. Earthquake physics
1.3. Plate tectonics and failure modes
1.4. How to measure earthquakes
1.5. Failure modes
1.6. Tsunami warning systems
1.7. Megaquakes and transelastic waves
2. The great 1960 Chile earthquake
2.1. A great earthquake
2.2. Earthquakes and coastal geomorphology
2.3. An observation of long-period surface waves on soft ground
3. The 1967 Caracas earthquake
3.1. Caracas in 1967
4. The 1970 Peru earthquake
4.1. The Santa Valley
4.2. Geology of the disaster
4.3. Climate change and communicative action
5. The 1985 Mexico earthquake
5.1. September 19, 1985, 7:19 a.m.
5.2. Lázaro Cárdenas
5.3. Mexico City
5.4. Social effects of the earthquake
5.5. The Senate hearings
5.6. Disaster, denial, and the Law
6. The 2010 Haiti earthquake
6.1. An unmitigated catastrophe
6.2. Possible causes of the disaster
6.3. Disaster culture in an earthquake country
7. The 2010 Chile earthquake
7.1. Another megaquake
7.2. Earthquake damage caused by long-period surface waves
7.3. Some historical sidelights
7.4. Disaster and regional development
8. A list of significant earthquakes in Latin America
8.1. Introduction
Table 8.1 Significant earthquakes in Latin America, 1906-2010