Australian paleoseismology: towards a better basis for seismic hazard estimation

Probabilistic seismic hazard analyses in Australia rely fundamentally on the assumption that earthquakes recorded
in the past are indicative of where earthquakes will occur in the future. No attempt has yet been made to assess
the potential contribution that data from active fault sources might make to the modelling process, despite successful
incorporation of such data into United States and New Zealand hazard maps in recent years. In this paper
we review the limited history of paleoseismological investigation in Australia and discuss the potential contribution
of active fault source data towards improving our understanding of intraplate seismicity. The availability
and suitability of Australian active fault source data for incorporation into future probabilistic hazard models is
assessed, and appropriate methodologies for achieving this proposed.