This article describes the Engineering Strong-Motion Database (ESM), developed in the framework of the European project Network of European Research Infrastructures for Earthquake Risk Assessment and Mitigation (NERA, see Data and Resources). ESM is specifically designed to provide end users only with quality-checked, uniformly processed strong-motion data and relevant parameters and has done so since 1969 in the Euro-Mediterranean region. The database was designed for a large variety of stakeholders (expert seismologists, earthquake engineers, students, and professionals) with a user-friendly and straightforward web interface. Users can access earthquake and station information and download waveforms of events with magnitude ≥ 4:0 (unprocessed and processed acceleration, velocity, and displacement, and acceleration and displacement response spectra at 5% damping). Specific tools are also available to users to process strong-motion data and select ground-motion suites for codebased seismic structural analyses.
The last release of the strong-motion database ITACA (ITalian ACelerometric Archive v 2.1, http://itaca.mi.ingv.it) includes, to date, about 25,222 three-component accelerometric waveforms generated by 1365 earthquakes with magnitude between 3.0 and 6.9 and recorded by 1210 stations in the time frame 1972-2015. One of the main goals of ITACA is to improve the characterization of the recording sites from the geological and geophysical point of view and to provide seismic classification according to Italian seismic code. To this aim, metadata of recording stations are stored in three main thematic levels (topographic features, geological features and geophysical measurements) useful for a large variety of applications in engineering seismology or earthquake engineering. In particular, 206 recording stations have been characterized by quantitative measurements of velocity profiles, conducted through different techniques (active and/or passive), and the V S,30 values are available in ITACA 2.1. Moreover, 357 horizontal to vertical spectral ratios of Fourier spectra of ambient noise and the value of the fundamental frequency are also accessible. All details about the stations contained in the ITACA database are described in specific reports.
Strong ground motion records and free open access to strong-motion data repositories are fundamental inputs to seismology, engineering seismology, soil dynamics, and earthquake engineering science and practice. This article presents the current status and outlook of the Observatories and Research Facilities for European Seismology (ORFEUS) coordinated strong-motion seismology services, namely the rapid raw strong-motion (RRSM) and the engineering strong-motion (ESM) databases and associated web interfaces and webservices. We compare and discuss the role and use of these two systems using the Mw 6.5 Norcia (Central Italy) earthquake that occurred on 30 October 2016 as an example of a well-recorded earthquake that triggered major interest in the seismological and earthquake engineering communities. The RRSM is a fully automated system for rapid dissemination of earthquake shaking information, whereas the ESM provides quality-checked, manually processed waveforms and reviewed earthquake information. The RRSM uses only data from the European Integrated Waveform Data Archive, whereas the ESM also includes offline data from other sources, such as the ITalian ACcelerometric Archive (ITACA). Advanced software tools are also included in the ESM to allow users to process strong-motion data and to select ground-motion waveform sets for seismic structural analyses. The RRSM and ESM are complementary services designed for a variety of possible stakeholders, ranging from scientists to the educated general public. The RRSM and ESM are developed, organized, and reviewed by selected members of the seismological community in Europe, including strong-motion data providers and expert users. Global access and usage of the data is encouraged. The ESM is presently the reference database for harmonized seismic hazard and risk studies in Europe. ORFEUS strong-motion data are open, “Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable,” and accompanied by licensing information. The users are encouraged to properly cite the data providers, using the digital object identifiers of the seismic networks.
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