The aim of this conference was to integrate a number of existing lines of research and to give an official start and international recognition to subaqueous paleoseismology. This novel field of study originates from integrating the strength of two disciplines: paleoseismology and marine geosciences. At the conference we have learned that the rapid technological developments in seafloor and sub-seafloor imaging and sampling methods of use in marine geosciences have increased the likelihood of being able to define the timing, location, and magnitude of pre-historical earthquakes having occurred under water (at sea, in lakes or in coastal areas). Worldwide examples of pioneering marine and lake investigations have shown that there is much evidence of seismic activity underwater in a variety of tectonic environments. Direct evidence of earthquake activity includes displacement of sediment strata and landforms such as seafloor scarps, whereas indirect evidence includes submarine landslides and turbidite and tsunami deposits. Thus, Marine and Lake Paleoseismology has an enormous potential to further develop worldwide and to provide important and essential input to seismic hazard assessment of coastal areas threatened by the effects of local and distant earthquakes.

Given the above, with this special issue we propose to collect high quality, original papers presenting approaches and results used to define and characterize underwater faults or their coseismic effects at sea, lakes and coastal areas. Of great interest for this special issue are case studies developed in different contexts and especially those that may help the nascent community to strengthen and thus to:
- develop a consensus for methodological approaches and interpretations,
- verify the consistency of results obtained through different approaches,
- establish the cause-effect relation and evaluate the uncertainty associated with the interpretation of seismic vs. non-seismic causes,
- integrate subaqueous paleoseismology results with information derived from historical and instrumental seismicity and on land data,
- provide data to the seismic hazard community.
This volume will represent an important starting point for Marine and Lake Paleoseismology that the paleoseismology s.s., marine geoscience, and seismic hazard communities will certainly use as reference. We think that NHESS represents the best “home” for such initiative.