SEISMOTECTONIC AND PALEOSEISMIC STUDIES FROM SPELEOTHEMS: THE STATE OF THE ART
Italian Institute of Speleology, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 67,1-40127 Bologna, Italy.
Abstract
ABSTRACT. The idea that speleothems may record earthquakes is rather old, but it was only after 1950 that systematic studies started on this topic. Presently it's well accepted that karst speleothems (especially stalagmites) can be used as a tool for tectonic and seismic analysis. In the present paper an overview on the state of the art in the seismotectonic and paleoseismic analyses using naturally broken speleothems and/or still growing stalagmites is presented. Specifically they may be important with respect to:
location and epicentre of past earthquakes;
their relative and absolute dating (within the last 500,000 yr. or so);
magnitude of these earthquakes;
improvement in the seismic hazard evaluation.