Active tectonics is the study of dynamic tectonic processes that shape the landscape and have an impact on human society. Tectonic geomorphology is the part of active tectonics that is concerned with landforms produced by tectonic processes and the application of geomorphic principles to tectonic problems. Tectonic geomorphology increasingly has become one of the principal tools in a variety of applications, including identification of active faults, formation of geologic structures, seismic-hazard assessment, and the study of landscape evolution. Tectonic geomorphology has proven to be useful in these applications because tectonically produced landforms are created and preserved over time intervals ideal for recording landscape change. This book requires a basic knowledge of geologic principles. It is appropriate for upper-division undergraduate students, graduate students, and others who work in the ,fields of geology, geomorphology, and earthquake studies. In universities, this book is appropriate for classes in active tectonics, tectonic geomorphology, earthquake geology, and geomorphology. The field of active tectonics has expanded rapidly during the past decade or so, but it remains at the cutting edge of geologic research. Space-based positioning, analysis of digital topography, and new dating techniques are bringing a whole new class of information to studies of the dynamic Earth. Advances in topics such as buried reverse faulting, active fold growth, earthquake recurrence, climate change, isostasy, and long-term landscape evolution continue to refine and redefine our understanding of tectonic and geomorphic processes. We hope the readers of this book will find it to be an up-to-date source of information, as well as a solid foundation for understanding future advances in the fields of active tectonics and tectonic geomorphology. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank colleagues who reviewed all or parts of the first or second editions of this book: Ronald L. Bruhn, University of Utah; Randel T. Cox. University of Memphis; Thomas W. Gardner, Pennsylvania State University; David R. Hickey, Graptolithics; John M. Holbrook, Southeast Missouri State University; William R. Lettis, Lettis & Associates, Inc.; Nancy Lindsley-Griffin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; George W Moore, Oregon State University; Karl J. Mueller, University of Colorado; Gomaa I. Omar, University of Pennsylvania; Frank Pazzaglia, Lehigh University; John B. Ritter, Wittenberg University; William A. Smith, Western Michigan University; Steven N. Ward, University of California, Santa Cruz; and John C. Weber, Grand Valley State University. The authors are also pleased to acknowledge the assistance of the editors. Assistance from Ellie Dzuro (word processing), Dave Crouch (computer illustration), and Amy Selting (production assistance) is also greatly appreciated. Excerpted from Active Tectonics: Earthquakes, Uplift, and Landscape by Edward Keller, Nicholas Pinter All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
