Paleoseismology

Map showing paleo earthquakes and possible causative faults Source: BGR

Paleoseismology is a young field of geoscience based on contributions from seismology, tectonics, earthquake geology, sedimentology and Quarternary geology.  The fundamental importance of the results of paleoseismology for the reliable determination of seismic hazard at a site or inside a region has been recognized during the last two decades. The geological evidences for earthquakes which happened long ago are the only source of information to establish the future seismicity of a region for very long periods. This is required by building codes for ordinary buildings as well as by rules for special buildings facing seismic hazard. As one example, the new version of the German rule for the construction and operation of nuclear reactors (called ‘KTA 2201.1’) explicitly demands the knowledge of paleoseismic evidence.