When Worlds Quake

The Quest to Understand the Interior of Earth and Beyond

Hrvoje Tkalčić

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Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Princeton University Press
13 January 2026

Geophysics; Volcanology & seismology; The Earth: natural history general

How earthquakes can reveal the subsurface secrets of our planet and other worlds

When Worlds Quake is a fascinating account of how scientists around the globe seek to use quakes to answer tantalizing questions about the structure and inner dynamics of our planet and to discover the deepest secrets of our nearest neighbors in the solar system.

Briefly traversing the history of seismology, Hrvoje Tkali describes the women and men who sought to understand major seismic events-from the catastrophic 1556 Shaanxi earthquake and the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 to more recent events such as the 2020 earthquakes in Tkali's native Croatia-and thus shaped the field. Modern global seismologists now not only study the behavior of earthquakes but also use seismic waves as tools to image Earth's deep interior. To do this work, they need seismographs positioned around the globe, including in remote, challenging regions. Tkali takes the reader along on his own daring expeditions to install seismographs and collect seismic wave data from the wilds of the Australian Outback to the rough depths of the Southern Ocean, and even farther afield-to the Moon and Mars, where quakes can be used to image the interiors of these worlds.

A riveting and often personal narrative about the cutting-edge science of global and planetary seismology, When Worlds Quake reveals how quakes can help scientists to understand the mysterious inner architecture and ongoing evolution of our planet, as well as worlds beyond our own.

By: Hrvoje Tkalčić
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
ISBN: 9780691271477
ISBN 10: 069127147X
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 13 January 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Hrvoje Tkali is professor and head of Geophysics at the Australian National University, where he is director of the Warramunga Seismic and Infrasound Monitoring Facility. Recipient of the Price Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, he is a fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and the American Geophysical Union, recognized for his fundamental contributions to the study of Earth's interior. His books include The Earth's Inner Core.

Reviews for When Worlds Quake: The Quest to Understand the Interior of Earth and Beyond

""The science is fascinating, and Tkalčić’s descriptions of his own fieldwork are riveting reminders of just how hard won the everyday facts of science really are. The author’s decades of research inform every page, and his enthusiasm for his subject is contagious."" * Kirkus Reviews, starred review * ""Anyone curious about the science of earthquakes will find much of interest."" * Publishers Weekly *