Earthquake Geology: A tool for Seismic Hazard Assessment

About

Before 1970, the assessment of earthquake hazards in the United States and the USSR relied solely on the historical earthquake record. However, modern approaches emphasize investigating seismically active faults to conduct paleoseismic studies, which play a crucial role in both regional and site-specific seismic hazard assessment. In many seismically active regions of the world, including the Himalayan belt, numerous active fault zones lack a historical record of large-magnitude earthquakes. Paleoseismic studies are now widely practiced in countries such as the United States, Japan, and New Zealand. These studies have contributed significantly to understanding individual paleoseismic (ancient earthquake) events, the behavior of specific active fault segments, faulting rates, and reconstructing the history of large-magnitude earthquakes, including their recurrence intervals. Such studies are essential for assessing the probability and potential severity of future earthquakes, providing valuable information for societal preparedness and risk mitigation. Paleoseismology is an emerging field in India, with significant potential for advancing earthquake hazard assessment. This course is designed for postgraduate (PG) and undergraduate (UG) students to help them develop a strong foundation in this field.