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Active Tectonics Impact on Society (1986) / Chapter Skim
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9. Seismological and Paleoseismological Techniques of Research in Active Tectonics
Pages 148-154

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From page 148...
... Techniques of Research in Active Tectonics 9 CLARENCE R ALLEN California Institute of Technology ABSTRACT Classical seismological techniques such as earthquake hypocentral locations and focal-mechanism studies continue to play an important role in the understanding of active-tectonic processes, but newer techniques such as seismic tomography and the determination of earthquake source parameters are being increasingly utilized.
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From page 149...
... improved techniques for the absolute age dating of the affected rocks. Thus, it is not now uncommon to identify the specific dates of major earthquakes along a fault over the past few thousands of years, permitting a far better quantitative understanding of the local earthquake hazard than has ever been possible before, albeit on a probabilistic basis (e.g., Tanna Fault Trenching Research Group, 1983; Sieh, 1984~.
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From page 150...
... Other examples of slip-rate determinations and recurrence intervals between major earthquakes have been summarized by Sieh (1981~. As opposed to slip-rate determinations, paleoseismological techniques must utilize geologic features associated with individual past earthquakes, which is a task that usually constitutes a greater challenge to the geologist.
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From page 151...
... Evidence for the actual amount of strike-slip displacement during individual paleo-earthquakes can sometimes be obtained from horizontal excavations that reveal stream paleochannels or other offset linear features within the displaced strata (e.g., Sieh, 1984~. In all these paleoseismological techniques, optimal bracketing of the time of the earthquake requires dating of (1)
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From page 152...
... Particularly for the studies of worldwide large earthquakes, which represent our best "window" to contemporary tectonic processes, it is essential that support be obtained and continued for the proposed new Global Seismographic Network (NRC Committee on Seismology, 1983, Incorporated Research Institutes for Seismology, 1984) , which will effectively replace the 23year-old World Wide Standardized Seismographic Network, which has served its purpose well but is now clearly outmoded.
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From page 153...
... (1968~. Notes on stream channels offset by the San Andreas Fault, southern Coast Ranges, California, Stanford Univ.
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From page 154...
... Implications of fault slip rates and earthquake recurrence models to probabilistic hazard estimates, Bull.
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Key Terms

  • andreas fault
  • tectonic processes
  • slip rates
  • fault scarps
  • geologic features

  • tanna fault
  • earthquake recurrence
  • paleoseismological techniques
  • stream channels
  • contemporary tectonic

  • hypocentral locations
  • absolute age
  • continuous fault
  • seismographic network
  • trench walls

  • trenching research
  • fault trenching
  • age dating
  • earthquake engineering
  • classical seismological

  • focal mechanisms
  • pallett creek
  • prehistoric earthquakes
  • paleoseismological investigations
  • global seismographic

  • fault slippage
  • active tectonics
  • seismic hazard
  • heavy shaking
  • surface faulting


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