Traces through the Macroseismic Field Experience in Bulgaria

The study briefly reviews the approach of organizing macroseismic investigations in Bulgaria in the course of time, after the national seismological service has been established. Some examples of the fast data collection and assessment and the reinterpretation of the macroseismic data and reprocessing information are discussed. Lessons learnt are presented. The present-day macroseismic practice is traced along its complete path and important issues are pointed out. The survey field methodology currently in use is presented based on a practical example. Our experience proves that seismologists, earthquake engineers and geologists complement each other in the macroseismic field teams.JRC.G.5-European laboratory for structural assessmen

Earthquake induced crises: game tree approached risk communication and lessons learnt

Earthquakes, large or even moderate, are often followed by secondary phenomena, such as landslides, tsunamis, fires and technological disasters, leading to cascading effects that may, in turn, cause severe repercussions. Before, during and after the occurrence of these events, risk communication, currently evolved to codified legislation, is a crucial factor. Policy selection in the present study is approached by the application of the risk game tree and its formation. The events studied here in view of policy making have occurred both in the historical and the instrumental era, to account for different level of exposure and anthropogenic hazards, in Greece (1894 Atlanti, 1953 Kefallinia series, 2003 and 2015 Lefkas), Italy (1976 Friuli), Japan (2011 Tōhoku) and Slovenia (1917 Brežice). In all case studies the whole disaster management cycle is examined, i.e. mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Disaggregation of earthquake-related direct and cascading effects, as well as risk communication are taken into account and ethical challenges are posed both to scientists and policy makers

Potre 6. Maja 1976 V Furlaniji. Reevaluacija makrosezmćnih podatkov

Forty years after a devastating earthquake sequence, that has demanded almost 1000 lives and destroyed towns and villages in Friuli and adjacent regions, we have decided to take another look at the macroseismic data using the EMS-98 scale. Although four decades are not, historically speaking, a long period, and the quantity of existing data can be measured in hundred of kilograms of paper (questionnaires, damage analysis, newspapers, studies etc.) it was disturbing to find out that many of the original data are already missing and are probably lost forever. Effort was put into finding additional and yet unknown primary data, e.g. photographic material of damaged localities and eyewitness’ reports. The earthquake was felt in large part of Europe. For intensity data points (IDPs) with only low intensity values (especially in Switzerland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland) it was decided that the data will be included into the joint dataset without the EMS re-evaluation. For IDPs with higher intensity (especially in the countries closer to the epicentral region like Austria, Croatia, Germany – ex West and East part separately, Slovenia) the re-evaluation was performed. A particular and more complicated case concerns Italian data: the two main current Italian catalogues record two different data sets, both in IDPs number and in intensity values. Due to the methodological differences in a number of cases the EMS intensities are different than the previous MSK or MCS onesPublished15-263T. Storia SismicaN/A or not JC

Earthquake induced crises: game tree approached risk communication and lessons learnt

Earthquakes, large or even moderate, are often followed by secondary phenomena, such as landslides, tsunamis, fires and technological disasters, leading to cascading effects that may, in turn, cause severe repercussions. Before, during and after the occurrence of these events, risk communication, currently evolved to codified legislation, is a crucial factor. Policy selection in the present study is approached by the application of the risk game tree and its formation. The events studied here in view of policy making have occurred both in the historical and the instrumental era, to account for different level of exposure and anthropogenic hazards, in Greece (1894 Atlanti, 1953 Kefallinia series, 2003 and 2015 Lefkas), Italy (1976 Friuli), Japan (2011 Tohoku) and Slovenia (1917 Brezice). In all case studies the whole disaster management cycle is examined, i.e. mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Disaggregation of earthquake-related direct and cascading effects, as well as risk communication are taken into account and ethical challenges are posed both to scientists and policy makers