"We cannot always prevent landslides and avalanches, but we can learn how to minimize their impact on humans. This informative book examines what scientists know about the sudden movement of earth or snow, whether we can predict these slides, and how we learn from each event. By studying the harm they cause, scientists and engineers continue to come up with new and improved technologies to predict landslides and avalanches and make cities, buildings, and people safer. Case studies and brief bios of key scientists and organizations highlight the information."-- Provided by publisher.