What is paleoseismology?

• A. A method for predicting earthquakes in the next decade.
• B. The study of prehistoric earthquakes through geological evidence.
• C. A technique for measuring current fault slip rates.
• D. The study of historical earthquakes using instrumental records.

Answer: (B)

Paleoseismology is the study of prehistoric earthquakes through geological evidence. By examining faults in the rock and the layers of sediments that have been moved or disrupted by past quakes, scientists can identify when earthquakes occurred long before written records. Dating methods like radiocarbon or luminescence are used to place those events on a timeline, allowing researchers to estimate how often large earthquakes have happened on a fault and to assess future hazard.

This isn’t about predicting earthquakes in the near future, nor about measuring current fault slip with GPS, nor about studying earthquakes solely from instrumental or historical records. It builds a long-term picture of seismic activity from the geological record.