Earthquake Hazard and Risk is a book summarizing selected papers presented at the 27th General Assembly of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth s Interior (Wellington January 1994). The papers rigorously scrutinized by an international board of referees cover some recent aspects of current research in earthquake hazard and seismic risk. They address the algorithms and methodology used in seismological applications the reliability of these techniques with the decreasing level of probability and uncertainty associated with various seismotectonic settings the physical and statistical nature of earthquake occurrences strong ground motions and effects of surface seismogeological conditions. A special effort has been made to include papers that illustrate the assessment of earthquake hazard and seismic risk through applications at sites in either inter-plate or intra-plate tectonic settings. Of particular interest is hazard assessment in regions of rare large earthquakes. The book is suitable for those interested in earthquake hazard and seismic risk research as well as a more general audience of seismologists geophysicists and Earth scientists. It is also useful for authorities responsible for public safety and natural hazard mitigation plans and for insurance companies.