Marine and lake paleoseismology
Marine and lake paleoseismology
Editor(s): D. Pantosti, E. Gràcia, G. Lamarche, and H. Nelson
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.

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09 Oct 2013
Are great Cascadia earthquakes recorded in the sedimentary records from small forearc lakes?
A. E. Morey, C. Goldfinger, C. E. Briles, D. G. Gavin, D. Colombaroli, and J. E. Kusler
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2441–2463, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2441-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2441-2013, 2013
23 Aug 2013
Spatially limited mud turbidites on the Cascadia margin: segmented earthquake ruptures?
C. Goldfinger, A. E. Morey, B. Black, J. Beeson, C. H. Nelson, and J. Patton
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 2109–2146, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2109-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2109-2013, 2013
04 Apr 2013
Seismoturbidite record as preserved at core sites at the Cascadia and Sumatra–Andaman subduction zones
J. R. Patton, C. Goldfinger, A. E. Morey, C. Romsos, B. Black, Y. Djadjadihardja, and Udrekh
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 833–867, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-833-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-833-2013, 2013
07 Nov 2012
Acoustic and seismic imaging of the Adra Fault (NE Alboran Sea): in search of the source of the 1910 Adra earthquake
E. Gràcia, R. Bartolome, C. Lo Iacono, X. Moreno, D. Stich, J. J. Martínez-Diaz, G. Bozzano, S. Martínez-Loriente, H. Perea, S. Diez, E. Masana, J. J. Dañobeitia, O. Tello, J. L. Sanz, E. Carreño, and EVENT-SHELF Team
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 3255–3267, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-3255-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-3255-2012, 2012
01 Nov 2012
Great earthquakes along the Western United States continental margin: implications for hazards, stratigraphy and turbidite lithology
C. H. Nelson, J. Gutiérrez Pastor, C. Goldfinger, and C. Escutia
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 3191–3208, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-3191-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-3191-2012, 2012
23 Oct 2012
Quaternary active tectonic structures in the offshore Bajo Segura basin (SE Iberian Peninsula – Mediterranean Sea)
H. Perea, E. Gràcia, P. Alfaro, R. Bartolomé, C. Lo Iacono, X. Moreno, E. Masana, and EVENT-SHELF Team
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 3151–3168, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-3151-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-3151-2012, 2012
14 Aug 2012
Combining inland and offshore paleotsunamis evidence: the Augusta Bay (eastern Sicily, Italy) case study
A. Smedile, P. M. De Martini, and D. Pantosti
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2557–2567, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2557-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2557-2012, 2012
24 Jul 2012
Active faults and historical earthquakes in the Messina Straits area (Ionian Sea)
A. Polonia, L. Torelli, L. Gasperini, and P. Mussoni
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2311–2328, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2311-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2311-2012, 2012
10 Jul 2012
Searching for the seafloor signature of the 21 May 2003 Boumerdès earthquake offshore central Algeria
A. Cattaneo, N. Babonneau, G. Ratzov, G. Dan-Unterseh, K. Yelles, R. Bracène, B. Mercier de Lépinay, A. Boudiaf, and J. Déverchère
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2159–2172, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2159-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2159-2012, 2012
27 Jun 2012
Building an 18 000-year-long paleo-earthquake record from detailed deep-sea turbidite characterisation in Poverty Bay, New Zealand
H. Pouderoux, G. Lamarche, and J.-N. Proust
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2077–2101, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2077-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2077-2012, 2012
26 Jun 2012
Late Holocene landscape change history related to the Alpine Fault determined from drowned forests in Lake Poerua, Westland, New Zealand
R. M. Langridge, R. Basili, L. Basher, and A. P. Wells
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 2051–2064, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2051-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-2051-2012, 2012
29 May 2012
Identification of deep subaqueous co-seismic scarps through specific coeval sedimentation in Lesser Antilles: implication for seismic hazard
C. Beck, J.-L. Reyss, F. Leclerc, E. Moreno, N. Feuillet, L. Barrier, F. Beauducel, G. Boudon, V. Clément, C. Deplus, N. Gallou, J.-F. Lebrun, A. Le Friant, A. Nercessian, M. Paterne, T. Pichot, and C. Vidal
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 1755–1767, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1755-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1755-2012, 2012
07 May 2012
Active tectonics along the submarine slope of south-eastern Sicily and the source of the 11 January 1693 earthquake and tsunami
A. Argnani, A. Armigliato, G. Pagnoni, F. Zaniboni, S. Tinti, and C. Bonazzi
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 1311–1319, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1311-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1311-2012, 2012
27 Apr 2012
The earthquake sedimentary record in the western part of the Sea of Marmara, Turkey
L. Drab, A. Hubert Ferrari, S. Schmidt, and P. Martinez
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 1235–1254, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1235-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1235-2012, 2012
26 Apr 2012
Geological record of tsunami inundations in Pantano Morghella (south-eastern Sicily) both from near and far-field sources
F. Gerardi, A. Smedile, C. Pirrotta, M. S. Barbano, P. M. De Martini, S. Pinzi, A. M. Gueli, G. M. Ristuccia, G. Stella, and S. O. Troja
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 1185–1200, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1185-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1185-2012, 2012
19 Apr 2012
Assessing enigmatic boulder deposits in NE Aegean Sea: importance of historical sources as tool to support hydrodynamic equations
M. Vacchi, A. Rovere, N. Zouros, and M. Firpo
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 1109–1118, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1109-2012,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-12-1109-2012, 2012
23 Dec 2013
Preface: Marine and Lake Paleoseismology
E. E. Gràcia, G. Lamarche, H. Nelson, and D. Pantosti
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 13, 3469–3478, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-3469-2013,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-3469-2013, 2013
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