We quantify the abrupt response of coral class="mathmlsrc">title="View the MathML source" class="mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0012821X15006287&_mathId=si8.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0012821X15006287&_rdoc=1&_issn=0012821X&md5=b70e0a030d246b0f45d2bbfbb8223784">class="imgLazyJSB inlineImage" height="16" width="48" alt="View the MathML source" title="View the MathML source" src="/sd/grey_pxl.gif" data-inlimgeid="1-s2.0-S0012821X15006287-si8.gif">class="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode"> to coseismic seafloor displacement.
The detection limit for the method equates to ∼0.2 m of vertical seafloor motion.
Step-changes in coral class="mathmlsrc">title="View the MathML source" class="mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0012821X15006287&_mathId=si8.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0012821X15006287&_rdoc=1&_issn=0012821X&md5=b70e0a030d246b0f45d2bbfbb8223784">class="imgLazyJSB inlineImage" height="16" width="48" alt="View the MathML source" title="View the MathML source" src="/sd/grey_pxl.gif" data-inlimgeid="1-s2.0-S0012821X15006287-si8.gif">class="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode"> will record past megathrust earthquakes of class="mathmlsrc">class="formulatext stixSupport mathImg" data-mathURL="/science?_ob=MathURL&_method=retrieve&_eid=1-s2.0-S0012821X15006287&_mathId=si39.gif&_user=111111111&_pii=S0012821X15006287&_rdoc=1&_issn=0012821X&md5=c23cafd0c014f7f87c5a4a5d86044144" title="Click to view the MathML source">Mw≥7.2class="mathContainer hidden">class="mathCode">.
Coral paleogeodesy can define crustal strain in many convergent tectonic settings.