An Actual Need: to Modernize the Concept of Seismic Intensity

Abstract

A stringent need to adapt the concept of seismic intensity to the requirements of accuracy as well as to the current level of sources of information (especially of instrumental nature) is emphasized and advocated. A summary view on the work devoted to the modernization of the concept of seismic intensity, performed in Russia, in Romania and in the Republic Moldova is presented. It is also emphasized that, in spite of the differences in the approaches adopted by the research groups referred to before, there is a convergence of the results and conclusions obtained and that the main outcome is represented by the need of modernization of the intensity concept, mainly in the directions of a more flexible approach and of benefitting from the radical advantages offered by the availability, currently, of a huge amount of instrumental data. The organization of a Joint Working Group of EAEE and ESC to develop this work is finally advocated.

Keywords

• intensity scales
• instrumental criteria
• spectral contents
• statistical record analysis
• zonation errors