Paleoseismology is the scientific discipline that investigates prehistoric and pre-instrumental earthquakes through geological records, primarily using stratigraphic, geomorphic, and structural evidence preserved in sediments and rocks. It relies on trenching across active or suspected faults, dating displaced or deformed strata (e.g., by radiocarbon, luminescence, or dendrochronology), and analyzing offset geomorphic markers to reconstruct the timing, location, magnitude, and recurrence intervals of past seismic events. These data constrain long-term fault slip rates, characterize earthquake recurrence behavior, improve seismic hazard assessments, and test models of fault interaction and earthquake cycle processes beyond the limited span of historical and instrumental records.
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