New approaches and recent mehodologies in Paleoseismology

Summary

Paleoseismology is the study of large or moderate-sized earthquakes as recorded in geological units. Shallow crustal faults are responsible for destructive earthquakes that may produce surface displacements recorded in the young sedimentary deposits. This coseismic deformation is the primary observation necessary to recognize historical and prehistorical earthquakes in the field. The paleoseismological analysis (McCalpin, 1996) is then able to supplement the historical and instrumental seismic catalogue, and to provide the faulting parameters and duration of the seismic cycle (return period of large earthquakes).

In this project, we use modern techniques in paleoseismology in order to study the faulting behaviour and return period of large and moderate earthquakes in zones where the seismic activity appears as not very important on the basis of instrumental and historical data. Studies in active tectonics of the continental interior of Europe are essential for characterizing the faulting behaviour and the recurrence interval of large earthquakes during the late Pleistocene and Holocene (last 100.000 years). The deformation rate and level of visibility of the surface faulting in these zones imply a tectonic analysis based on new approaches of fault studies.