xi

REVIEW
ELEMENTARY SEISMOLOGY by C. F. Richter. 768 pp., 205 illus. W. H.
Freeman and Company, San Francisco, and Bailey Bros. & Swinfen Ltd.,
London, 1958. Price $12.00 (102/-).
As in other branches of geophysics, seismology has reached a stage where
much closer co-ordination is required with other disciplines, in this case those of
the geologist, architect and engineer. Dr. C. F. Richter, of the W o r n i a
Institute of Technology, has furthered this object with his book, which is one
more in the ‘Series of books in Geology’ edited by James Gilluly and A. C.
Woodford.
When a large earthquake occurs, much field work is called for to investigateits
effects, such as faulting, movement of ground water and damage to buildings.
This work must be done rapidly, since the evidence is soon obscured (or
repaired!). Large areas must be covered and many wimesses interrogated.
One of Dr. Richter’s primary aims in writing this has been to make the
geologist interested and informed, so that he can partake usefully in such a
survey. I n this he has succeeded handsomely. In the 6rst fourteen chapters of
his book he tells us what to look for and how to look for it, illustrating his
narrative with detailed accounts of some well-known earthquakes. Three of
these chapters, and some later m a t e d , are of special interest to the architect
and engineer.
Dr. Richter shows that there is a lack of standard procedure in reporring
earthquake effects. Thus (p. 143): “In drafting isoseismals, the geologist ...
tends to disregard or compensate for the raising of the intensity by local areas of
bad ground . . .”.As a result, the isoseismals are distorted by the observer’s
personal equation, and yidd results misleading to, h e r uliu, s u - u c m d geologists.
Dr. Richter exposes these and other pitfalls and by his thorough explanation
of intensity scales provides a standard guide for future workers.
The next ten chapters deal with the more theoretical aspects of seismology
such as elastic wave theory, the deep interior of the mrrh and microseisms.
There is much good advice on the interpretation of seismograms. The whole
book is based upon lecture material for geologists, and the mathematics is
minimised; much of it is transferred to appendices. However, as Dr. Richter
wrily observes, an understanding of the seismograph, with its attendant
mathematics, is as necessary to the study of seismology as is that of the micro-
scope to geology.
In the nine chapters of Part 11, entitled “Geography and Geology of Earth-
quakes” Dr. Richter draws upon his earlier book with Gutenburg, ‘Seismicity
of the Earch’,but there is also much new material, in which the seismology and
tectonics of California, New Zealand, Japan and other dispicts are compared.
This part concludes with a short account of seismology in the U.S.S.R.
If the early chapters are too diffuse, this p d a l defect is remedied in the
seventeen appendices which contain, besides the mathematical proofs, travel-
time tables, a list of seismological stations, methods of location plotting and
other material, especially useful to those embarking upon interprmtion.
The illustrations are nearly all excellent, the index is complete, the references
are comprehensive and there are very few misprints. Indeed Dr. Richter uscfully
draws our attention to misprints of important symbols in other books.
 Unfortunately, chapters 16-18 are marred by several mistakes that could
have been avoided by better proof-reading. These concern the veloaty of Love
waves (p. 241), the dimensions of the earth (p. 249), and misplaced symbols in
Fig. 17-4; while the information (pp. 252, 290) that the Moho rises in some
places to within 5 or 6 km.of sea level should warm the hearts of those purposing
to drill rhrough the earth's nust!
However, it is churlish to cavil at these slips. Dr. Richter is one of the world's
leading seismologists, and he has written a book which belies its title
'elementary'. Its size and therefore its cost is considerable. This is unavoidable
in a text which is directed to serious students in so many fields,'and, with his
lucid, humorous and always readable style, he will surely succeed in carrying
them deep into the subject. C.D.V.W.
 THE LIVERPOOL AND MANCHESTER GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL COMMITTEE
(Set up jointly by Liverpool Geological Society and Manchester Geological Association to conduct publication of the Journal)
FINANCIAL STATEMENT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st JULY, 1958
During this period Volume 2, Part 1 was published
I
Dr. RECEIPTS PAYMENTS Cr.
A; s. d. s. d.
T o Cash in hand 1.8.57 ...... ...... 329 4 8 By Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 508 12 11
Grants and Donations : Stationery and duplicating . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9 5
T h e Royal Society ...... ...... 65 0 0 Booksellers’discount and Agents’ charges . . . . . . 519 6
T h e Royal Society ...... ...... 30 0 0 Postages .................. 3 15 2
Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd. ...... 75 0 0 Officers’ travelling expenses ......... 1 0 3
Authors of contributed papers ... ...... 11 2 6 Cash in hand 31.7.58 . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 8 5 g;
Sales :
Volume 2, Part 1 ...... ...... 164 19 0
Other parts . ........ ...... 82 15 6
Authors’ offprints ...... ...... 57 4 0
E815 5 8 €815 5 8

There are no outstanding liabilities. There are debts due to the Committee amounting to E14.
Audited and found correct 9th August, 1958.
F. -MAN EDWARDWILLIAMS
Hon. Auditor. Hon. Treasurer.