The Earth and all its inhabitants are vulnerable to the whims of nature, sometimes lethal whims of catastrophic proportions. Natural disasters claim the lives of about 1 million people every decade. Here in the latest book in the Science Times series, award-winning New York Times journalists take us into the heart of the most harrowing sources of natural disasters.Earthquakes, tornadoes, and volcanoes may be as powerful and awe-inspiring as when they were first experienced by humankind, but in the effort to better predict where and when they will next happen, scientists have made some of the most astonishing discoveries.No amount of technology can lessen the impact of a deadly asteroid from space colliding with our planet - a potential impact of twenty H-bombs - but scientists are perfecting ways to predict which asteroids will cross Earth's path, and suggesting extreme measures to deflect them from their course.Causes for and effects of the warming of the planet is another of the fascinating realms explored herein. Climatic changes indicate increased intensity and frequency of storms and hurricanes, especially to the northeast, suggesting a greater likelihood of the melting of polar ice caps due to global warming. Spanning the full range of Mother Nature's fury, this volume is a terrific read for weather and geology buffs, amateur naturalists, students, and anyone interested in astronomy and the earth sciences. (71/4 X 91/2, 212 pages, illustrations)