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An archaeoseismic approach and method for the study of active strike‐slip faults
Author(s) -
Noller Jay Stratton,
Lightfoot Kent G.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1520-6548(199703)12:2<117::aid-gea2>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - active fault , strike slip tectonics , seismology , geology , slip (aerodynamics) , forensic engineering , structural engineering , fault (geology) , engineering , aerospace engineering
The use of archaeology to study earthquake hazards provides a human dimension to an issue of modern societal concern. We developed an archaeoseismic approach to the study of prehistoric earthquakes on active strike‐slip faults. This approach employs a combination of standard archaeological and paleoseismic techniques. We have successfully applied this approach and its attendant methods to an archaeological site that straddles and has been offset by the San Andreas fault in northern coastal California. Resultant fault parameters, including cumulative rate of slip and timing of the penultimate event, are comparable to results of strictly paleoseismic investigations at other sites on this fault. The archaeoseismic approach furnishes a number of advantages over geologic studies in terms of the availability and number of potential study sites, the abundance of datable materials, and the array of potential piercing features with which to constrain fault history. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.