Why is it important to study prehistoric earthquakes?

A) To determine the recurrence intervals and likely size of earthquakes to help people in a region plan for future seismic events.
B) There are no modern earthquakes to study, so prehistoric earthquakes are the only ones that may provide data to scientists.
C) They provide the most accurate data from seismometers and therefore the best seismographs.
D) Modern earthquakes are all much smaller than prehistoric earthquakes and cannot provide details about larger seismic events.

Studying prehistoric earthquakes allows scientists to understand the patterns and potential magnitudes of future earthquakes in a given area by analyzing the recurrence intervals and sizes of past earthquakes. This information is crucial for planning and preparedness. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because modern earthquakes are also studied extensively, prehistoric earthquakes do not provide seismometer data (as seismometers were not available prehistorically), and the size of modern versus prehistoric earthquakes can vary widely without a consistent pattern of one being larger than the other.