Every day there occur hundreds of earthquakes of medium and strong intensity. Recent quakes in Aquila, Northeast Italy, and Japan have caused billions of dollars' worth of damage and massive loss of human life. This book defines concepts such as risk, vulnerability, exposure, and seismic hazard; explains how earthquakes are generated and how to measure them; offers an overview of institutions that monitor seismic events. The authors also address issues concerning prevention against the effects of earthquakes, ranging from preparedness regulations to risk sensitivization and accurate information.

Marco Massa and Romano Camossi are both researchers at the Italian National Geophysics and Volcanology Institute.