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Frontiers in Earthquake Geology: Bright Futures and Brick Walls

Date: 4/24/2019

Time: 2:15 PM to 5:30 PM

Room: Vashon

Since its infancy in the mid-1960s, the study of earthquake geology and paleoseismology has grown into a multi-disciplinary field. In concert, we have seen an increase in the precision and detail of coseismic earthquake observations and of complex fault behavior, including multi-fault rupture, earthquake triggering and fault interaction. In addition to the challenges of combining various geochronologic techniques, event stratigraphy and geomorphic surface reconstruction, paleoseismologic studies must also reconcile evidence from the upper several meters of the Earth with processes that initiate at several kilometers depth and with various models of rupture scenarios and earthquake recurrence. Despite these challenges, scientists are using new and improved methods and concepts to characterize both regional and local fault behavior, compare short term deformation rates with longer-term geologic slip rates, add critical constraints to dynamic rupture models and improve estimates of fault rupture length, earthquake magnitude and fault slip rates.

This session covers recent advancements, ongoing challenges and the future of earthquake geology. We welcome submissions focused on incorporating new concepts and methods that improve our understanding of short- and long-term fault behavior, place controls and insight on rupture modeling and provide new constraints on seismic hazard analyses.

Conveners

Lydia Staisch, U.S. Geological Survey (lstaisch@usgs.gov)
Brian Sherrod, U.S. Geological Survey (bsherrod@usgs.gov)
Stuart Nishenko, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (spn3@pge.com)
Gary Greene, Moss Landing Marine Labs (greene@mlml.calstate.edu)

Oral Presentations