Palaeoseismology: Historical and Prehistorical Records of Earthquake Ground Effects for Seismic Hazard AssessmentKlaus Reicherter, Alessandro M. Michetti, Pablo Gabriel Silva Given the tremendous toll in human lives and attendant economic losses, it is appropriate that scientists are working hard to understand better earthquakes, with the aim of forecasting and, ultimately, predicting them. In the last decades increasing attention has been paid to the coseismic effects on the natural environment, creating a solid base of empirical data for the estimation of source parameters of strong earthquakes based on geological observations. The recently introduced INQUA scale (Environmental Seismic Intensity-ESI 2007 Scale) of macroseismic intensity clearly shows how the systematic study of earthquake surface faulting, coseismic liquefaction, tsunami deposits and other primary and secondary ground effects can be integrated with 'traditional' seismological and tectonic information to provide a better understanding of the seismicity level of an area and the associated hazards. At the moment this is the only scientific means of equating the seismic records to the seismic cycle time-spans extending the seismic catalogues even to tens of thousands of years, improving future seismic hazard analyses. This Special Publication covers some of the latest multidisciplinary work undertaken to achieve that aim. Eighteen papers from research groups from all continents address a wide range of topics related both to palaeoseismological studies and assessment of macroseismic intensity based only on the natural phenomena associated with an earthquake. |
Contents
ROCKWELL T RAGONA D SEITZ G LANGRIDGE R AKSOY M E UCARKUS G | 31 |
OTA Y AZUMA T LIN Y N N Application of the INQUA Environmenal Seismic 55 | 55 |
TATEVOSSIAN R E ROGOZHIN E A AREFIEV S S OVSYUCHENKO A N Earthquake | 73 |
SILVA P G REICHERTER K GRÜTZNER C BARDAJÍ T LARIO J GOY J L Zazo C | 93 |
MOSQUERAMACHADO S LALINDEPULIDO C SALCEDOHURTADO E MICHETTI | 123 |
LIN A GUO J Prehistoric seismicityinduced liquefaction along the western segment of the | 145 |
the case of Scandinavia | 173 |
HINZEN K G WEINER J Testing a seismic scenario for the damage of the Neolithic | 189 |
Common terms and phrases
active faults aftershocks Alkyonides alluvial Baelo Claudia Balakot basement Basin C14 years BP Cabo de Gata calcrete channel collapse coseismic cracks damage dating deformation deposits depth displacement earth environmental effects epicentral epicentral area fault plane fault scarp fault zone focal mechanism fractures Geological Society Geophysical ground effects Hebron Hebron Fault historical Holocene INQUA intensity assessment intensity scale interpreted Journal of Seismology km² Kückhoven Kunlun fault Kythira landslides large earthquakes layers liquefaction macroseismic magnitude mainshock maximum metres MICHETTI Mitata mm/a Mörner MSSP Murindo Muzaffarabad Neftegorsk NIFS northern oblique-slip observed occurred offset palaeoearthquakes palaeoseismic Palaeoseismology Pyrgos quake recorded region River rocks Ruatahuna rupture length sand sediments segment seismic hazard seismic hazard assessment Seismological Society Silva slip vector slope Society of America soil stratigraphy structures surface faulting surface rupture survey tectonic Thrust trench tsunami unit Vilariça Waiohau wall Whakatane