Active Tectonics : Impact on Society

Over 250,000 people were killed in the Tangshan, China earthquake of 1976, and other less active tectonic processes can disrupt river channels or have a grave impact on repositories of radioactive wastes.

Since tectonic processes can be critical to many human activities, the Geophysics Study Committee Panel on Active Tectonics has presented an evaluation of the current state of knowledge about tectonic events, which include not only earthquakes but volcanic eruptions and similar events.

This book addresses three main topics: the tectonic processes and their rates, methods of identifying and evaluating active tectonics, and the effects of active tectonics on society. Table of ContentsFront MatterOverview and Recommendations1 Active Tectonics Along the Western Continental Margin of theConterminous United States2 Epeirogenic and Intraplate Movements3 Evaluation of Active Faulting and Associated Hazards4 Active Faults Related to Folding5 Alluvial River Response to Active Tectonics6 Coastal Tectonics7 Tectonic Geomorphology of Escarpments and Mountain Fronts8 Investigation of Active Tectonics: Use of Surficial EarthProcesses9 Seismological and Paleoseismological Techniques of Research inActive Tectonics10 Geodetic Measurement of Active-Tectonic Processes11 Near-Field Tectonic Geodesy12 Morphologic Dating and Modeling Degradation of Fault Scarps13 Dating Methods14 Seismic Hazards: New Trends in Analysis Using Geologic Data15 Volcanoes: Tectonic Setting and Impact on Society16 Volcanic Hazard Assessment for Disposal of High-LevelRadioactive WasteIndex