The thin surface of the Earth, constantly in motion, emits a fluctuating field of earthquake fracturing activity. This activity was labeled seismicityby Gutenberg and Richter in their classic work of 1954. Seismicity is described by space and time distributions of energy release, numbers of events, stress orientations, and other parameters. Studies of seismicity seek answers to fundamental geophysical questions pertaining to the nature and forces of Earth dynamics; the processes of straining, failure, and stress redistribution in earthquakes; and the nature and history of deformation in the fragmented outer shell of the Earth's crust and lithosphere. Studies of seismicity frequently proceed by observation, classification and measurement, and finally, postulation of causative mechanisms. The distributions of seismicity can be used to test the validity of various hypotheses, which are based on other geophysical or geological data. In particular regions, such as China, Italy, and the...
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Cross-references
Earthquake Mechanisms and Plate Tectonics; Earthquakes: Hazards and Prediction; Earthquakes: Magnitude, Energy, and Intensity; Earthquakes and Crustal Deformation; Earthquake Seismology; Seismicity and Plate Tectonics; Seismology: History; Stress in the Earth's Lithosphere; Strong Motion Seismology.
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McNally, K.C. (1989). Earthquakes and seismicity . In: Geophysics. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30752-4_10
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