Palaeoseismology: Historical and prehistorical records of earthquake ground effects for seismic hazard assessment - Special Publication no 316

Earthquakes are one of the greatest natural hazards humans face. During the twentieth century alone, over two million people died during strong ground shaking, attendant fires, tsunamis and landslides. Palaeoseismology, the analysis of the geological record of past earthquakes, is today a critical field of research for a better understanding of earthquake processes, and a suitable assessment of the related hazards.