Earthquakes of the Holocene

Geologic studies of earthquakes involve mapping of coseismic surface faulting and secondary deformation from historical events, trenching and geomorphic analysis to define the timing and size of past earthquakes, and investigations of fault zone structure and geometry in both unconsolidated sediments and bedrock. This research is now being referred to as paleoseismology, seismic geology, and earthquake geology. Since the mid-1970s, it has led to some of the most exciting and important contributions to the understanding of earthquake behavior in space and time [Hanks, 1985; Allen, 1986]. The present report is the first of what is hoped will become a regularly contributed summary of the geologic aspects of the study of earthquakes.