Geomorphic Impacts of Earthquakes
Post-Seismic Landscape Evolution
- 1st Edition - June 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Editors: Tim Davies, Xuanmei Fan, Alexander Densmore
- Language: English
Geomorphic Impacts of Earthquakes: Post-Seismic Landscape Evolution summarises the full range of landscape alterations that can result from large earthquakes, ranging from slope… Read more
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Geomorphic Impacts of Earthquakes: Post-Seismic Landscape Evolution summarises the full range of landscape alterations that can result from large earthquakes, ranging from slope instability and river aggradation to prograded coastlines. Although the damage to society that results directly from the shaking and ground rupture in large earthquakes is well known, the consequential effects of seismicity on the landscape causes earth surface deformations and hazards that are only now being fully understood. Many of these paraseismic consequences are subtle, and can take effect at large distances from, and long times after, the causative fault rupture. Geomorphic Impacts of Earthquakes: Post-Seismic Landscape Evolution underpins the consequences of major earthquakes, which are increasing as Earth’s population burgeons and climate and anthropogenic effects are ongoing. Readers professionally engaged in the Earth sciences will be better prepared to assess the full range of natural hazards that threaten particular locations, and to work out how to evaluate their contribution to societal risks.
- Explicitly addresses the variety of processes and landforms resulting from the geomorphic cascade that is triggered by large earthquakes
- Provides the reader with a basis of geomorphic process knowledge to underpin the ability to foresee the impacts of ground shaking and fault rupture on landscapes
- Links seismo-geomorphic processes through to the hazards resulting from the impact of those processes to analyse the impacts of these processes on society
Academics, students, scientists, engineers, hazard/risk analysts in the field of Earth Sciences (especially geomorphology, geology, natural hazards, etc.) who need to understand and explain landforms and the events that form them, to anticipate and quantify future landscape dynamics, and to assess hazards and risks for land-use plannin
Section A - Fundamentals
1. Introduction: Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Landforms: The Big Picture
2. Large Earthquakes – Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Aftershocks
3. Coseismic Ground Motion
4. Rock Fracture and Ground Failure
5. Earth Surface Processes
6. Seismotectonic-Geomorphic Event Cascades
Section B – Tectonic Processes and Morphologies
7. Fault Trace Processes
8. Slope Failure Processes
9. Coseismic Landslides and Rockfalls, Paraseismic Landslides, Source and Deposit Morphologies
10. Liquefaction and lateral spreading
11. Fluvial Responses to Fault Offset and Uplift, and to Sediment Inputs
12. Glacial Processes and Impacts
13. Coastal Processes and Impacts
14. Marine Processes
15. Post-Earthquake Sediment and Fluxes
16. Geomorphic Indicators of Past Earthquakes
17. Climate Change Influences on Earthquake Geomorphology
18. Anthropic Influences on Earthquake Geomorphology
Section C - Case Studies
19. 1999 Chichi earthquake, Taiwan (remote sensing and analysis, and fluvial impacts)
20. 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, China (remote sensing and analysis, post-seismic debris flows, and river aggradation)
21. 2011 Tohoku earthquake (unexpected magnitude, geomorphic evidence of prior events, and tsunami)
22. 2015 Gorka earthquake, Nepal (mass movements and societal impacts)
23. 2016 Kaikoura earthquake (multiple fault ruptures, landslides and fluvial impacts)
Section D – Conclusion
24. Implications for Natural Hazard Risk Analysis, Risk Assessment, Impacts And Mitigation – Examples
25. Summary and Future Perspectives
1. Introduction: Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Landforms: The Big Picture
2. Large Earthquakes – Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Aftershocks
3. Coseismic Ground Motion
4. Rock Fracture and Ground Failure
5. Earth Surface Processes
6. Seismotectonic-Geomorphic Event Cascades
Section B – Tectonic Processes and Morphologies
7. Fault Trace Processes
8. Slope Failure Processes
9. Coseismic Landslides and Rockfalls, Paraseismic Landslides, Source and Deposit Morphologies
10. Liquefaction and lateral spreading
11. Fluvial Responses to Fault Offset and Uplift, and to Sediment Inputs
12. Glacial Processes and Impacts
13. Coastal Processes and Impacts
14. Marine Processes
15. Post-Earthquake Sediment and Fluxes
16. Geomorphic Indicators of Past Earthquakes
17. Climate Change Influences on Earthquake Geomorphology
18. Anthropic Influences on Earthquake Geomorphology
Section C - Case Studies
19. 1999 Chichi earthquake, Taiwan (remote sensing and analysis, and fluvial impacts)
20. 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, China (remote sensing and analysis, post-seismic debris flows, and river aggradation)
21. 2011 Tohoku earthquake (unexpected magnitude, geomorphic evidence of prior events, and tsunami)
22. 2015 Gorka earthquake, Nepal (mass movements and societal impacts)
23. 2016 Kaikoura earthquake (multiple fault ruptures, landslides and fluvial impacts)
Section D – Conclusion
24. Implications for Natural Hazard Risk Analysis, Risk Assessment, Impacts And Mitigation – Examples
25. Summary and Future Perspectives
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: June 1, 2026
- Language: English
TD
Tim Davies
Tim Davies is a Professor in the School of Earth and Environment at the University of Canterbury (NZ). His research focusses on the application of geomorphology in prediction of landform response to disturbance, in particular in the context of natural hazard assessment and disaster impact reduction.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, School of Geological Sciences, University of Canterbury, New ZealandXF
Xuanmei Fan
Prof. Xuanmei Fan, an esteemed expert in geological hazards and risk assessment, is currently affiliated with Chengdu University of Technology. With a background at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and as a Full Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection in China, her research focuses on earthquake-induced geological hazards, particularly in the Tibetan Plateau. Notably, Prof. Fan's studies on the causes and effects of earthquake-induced landslides following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake have been extensive. She has made significant contributions to the development of early warning systems for post-earthquake debris flows, resulting in numerous lives saved. Her exceptional achievements have garnered recognition, including the 2016 Richard Wolters Prize from the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment (IAEG). Prof. Xuanmei Fan's remarkable contributions to science and technology have earned her acclaim as one of China's top female geologists, receiving national and provincial prizes in honor of her accomplishments.
Affiliations and expertise
Chengdu University of Technology, ChinaAD
Alexander Densmore
Prof Alexander Densmore, Deputy Head of the Department of Geography at Durham University, UK, is a leading expert in the dynamic processes shaping Earth's surface. Raised on the tectonically active west coast of North America, his fascination with mountain-building and erosion has driven his academic pursuits. After earning a PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz, he held prestigious positions at Trinity College Dublin and ETH Zurich before joining Durham University in 2006. Currently, his research delves into the aftermath of earthquakes on mass wasting and sediment transfer in Nepal and China. He also focuses on utilizing scientific data to mitigate earthquake and monsoon-induced hazards, particularly in Nepal. Furthermore, his work extends to comprehending sediment routing systems, employing both field studies in northern India and advanced numerical modeling techniques. Professor Densmore's multidisciplinary approach enriches our understanding of geological phenomena and their societal impacts.
Affiliations and expertise
Deputy Head, Department of Geography, Durham University, UK