nological investments accelerate progress? This chapter presents
the committee consensus on these issues in nine key areas where
better knowledge is needed. The order of topics reflects the
organization of the earthquake research effort laid out in
Chapters 3 through 5 and is not intended to imply a
prioritization. Almost all destructive earthquakes are generated
by the sudden slippage of faults near the Earth’s surface. Most
dangerous faults in the continental crust (i.e., those that slip
at average rates greater than a few millimeters per year) can be
identified through a combination of geologic, geodetic, and
seismologic measurements. New technologies in all three fields
have enhanced the ability to locate active faults and assess
their seismogenic potential (Chapter 4). These advances now
warrant a substantial expansion in regional data gathering,
including the densification of seismic and geodetic monitoring
systems and more intense efforts to mine the geological record
of fault activity. The goal should