Earthquake Geology: methods and application

Earthquake Geology researches need an integrated, interdisciplinary approach with the contribution of Geomorphologists, Structural Geologists, Surveyors, Sedimentologists and Pedologists among other specialists. For specific case studies, the synergy with Seismologists, Historians, Engineers, Architects and Archaeologists would be fruitful and/or necessary. A key aspect in Earthquake Geology investigations is the need of rigorous and transparent methodologies and not only empirical and qualitative interpretations. An implicit major target in following a quantitative approach is to provide results ready to be included in SHA analyses. As a matter of fact, the collected information and obtained results could be directly and straightforwardly exploited for this purpose only when converted into numbers representing, for example, the epicentral location, the magnitude or the date of an earthquake together with an estimate of their reliability. With regard reliability of the results obtained with geological investigations, another crucial point that should be better focused on by Earthquake Geologists, is the need to evaluate the uncertainties in both original data and proposed interpretations and the operators should start giving ranges and numerical values of upper/lower boundaries of specific parameters. Due to the variety of the geological record possibly bearing information on past events and the diversity in methodological approaches, this is certainly not a simple task and it represents the future challange for Earthquake Geology investigations. The achievement of this goal will permit this discipline to make an important qualitative leap thus preventing to be considered "son of a minor God" during SHA analyses.