Portable optically stimulated luminescence age map of a paleoseismic exposure

Abstract The quality and quantity of geochronologic data used to constrain the history major earthquakes in a region exerts first-order control on accuracy seismic hazard assessments that affect millions people. However, evaluations geochronological are limited by uncertainties related inherently complex depositional processes may vary spatially temporally. To improve confidence models earthquake timing, we use high-density suite radiocarbon optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages with grid 342 portable OSL samples explore spatiotemporal trends across an exemplary normal fault colluvial wedge exposure. reveal two-dimensional age map paleoseismic exposure demonstrate how vertical horizontal relate dominant sedimentary facies soil characteristics at site. Portable provide critical context for interpretation 14C ages, show boundaries between pre- post-earthquake deposits do not match stratigraphic contacts, basis selecting alternate Bayesian timing. Our results potential emergent, methods dramatically constraints