------------------------------------------------------------- INFORMATION ON ACCESSING STRONG MOTION DATA ------------------------------------------------------------- Earthquake strong motion data are useful for a wide array of seismological and engineering research and applications. Unfortunately, strong motion data has never been easy to acquire. Data are available from a diverse array of organizations and services, and knowing where to look in order to retrieve a particular set of records is, to put it nicely, complicated. This brief summary is intended to provide information on obtaining strong motion records online (or in other digital form), contacting data sources, retrieving ground motion parameters, and accessing products and information pertaining to strong ground motions. The advent of the internet has certainly made remote collection of strong motion data easier; what has not changed is the fact that many organizations collect strong motion data, and few have direct approaches for providing the data to other users. Although I am not directly associated with any data source, I presently receive at least 5 requests per month for strong motion data, simply because I have gone through the trouble of assembling collections for individual earthquakes for my own studies. As you can see, it is to my benefit to provide the information below, and hence, I created this web page on the subject. Since space is limited, a more extensive version of this summary can be found online at http://www-socal.wr.usgs.gov/wald/smdata.html. While the purpose of this column is to provide information on online resources, for completeness sake, I include other means for acquiring data and information since it seems to be lacking elsewhere. Accessing weak motion data is not addressed here and I apologize in advance for any omissions or inaccuracies. Please address corrections or updates to me directly (wald@usgs.gov). I classify strong motion (internet) resources into three categories: DATABASES DATA SOURCES AND/OR PRODUCTS AND ARCHIVES INFORMATION (true relational (data collection agencies, (ground motion maps, databases) or archived single- and slip models, etc.) multi-agency collections) ------------------------------------------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to all who provided information used on this page. Some portions of this information were obtained, modified, and updated from NCEER's homepage under obtaining strong motion records (http://nceer.eng.buffalo.edu). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATABASES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are only a few relational databases for obtaining strong motion time histories and parameters. Below I give a brief synopsis of each along with a few caveats. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Strong Motion Data Base (SMDB) Institute for Crustal Studies, University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-1100 Contact: Alla Tumarkin Telephone: (805) 893-8446, Fax: (805) 893-8649 email: alla@crustal.ucsb.edu URL: http://quake.crustal.ucsb.edu/scec/smdb The SCEC Strong motion database (SMDB) at U. C. Santa Barbara is a true relational database, and provides access to both parametric and time-series data for earthquakes in southern California (1933-present). The SMDB now has both an X GUI and WWW interface. Time series and station maps can be viewed remotely and can be downloaded in SAC or ASCII format with the X version or in ASCII format with the WWW version. The WWW interface is in the final stages of development. The database allows parametric relations, with event, station, accelerogram (and parameters), and information objects interconnected, so peak values, station information, etc., can be easily searched and the results downloaded. Data sources include CDMG, USGS, USC, and SCEC. Also available on-line at the SMDB ( ftp://sadovsky.crustal.ucsb.edu/sm_data) are downloadable files from the NOAA CD-ROMS mentioned above. Caveats: Data primarily only for southern California earthqakes. Does not include SCE, TERRASCOPE, LADWP data for important earthquakes (Landers and Northridge, for example). Trigger times are not preserved in SAC formated files. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) National Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (NCEER) Earthquake Strong Motion Database Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University Route 9 West Palisades, NY 10964 Contact: Noel Barstow Telephone: (914) 365-8477, Fax: (914) 365-8150 email: barstow@ldeo.columbia.edu URL: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/nceer/nceer.html Both parametric and waveform data can be accessed and downloaded on-line using strongmo, an interactive menu-driven program, via the internet or in dial-up mode. The database contains primarily free-field U.S. and world strong motion records (up to 1994, pre-Northridge) from the joint L-DEO/NCEER/USGS strong motion digital network as well as USGS, CDMG, and archives from the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) and a host of other groups. Data from the L-DEO/NCEER/USGS network is available from 1988-1994, and on-line data sets include Alaskan earthquake since 1960, and a number of eastern U.S. earthquakes in the 1970's and 1980's. To use strongmo it is necessary to obtain NCEER Report 90-0024, A User's Guide to Strongmo: Version 1.0 of NCEER's Strong Motion Data Access Tool for PCs and Terminals. It can be obtained either on-line (from above URL) or to order contact NCEER Publications, 105 Red Jacket Quadrangle, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14261, telephone: (716) 645-3391; fax: (716) 645-3399; email: nceer@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu. Cost of manual is $10. Caveats: Terminal and dial-up interfaces; the World Wide Web interface is currently under developement. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Center of Geophysical Data Studies and Telematics Applications (CGDS) Strong Motion Data Base (SMDB) Joint Institute of Physics of the Earth (JIPE) Russian Academy of Sciences Contact: Alexander Mikoyan email: mik@wdcb.rssi.ru URL: http://perun.wdcb.rssi.ru/SMDB The database is part of the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC). In 1996, the CGDS developed client/server model of the SMDB with new World Wide Web interface and in 1997, scanned photo-images of the historical strong motions records were included in the SMDB. Strong motion recordings of important earthquakes in Asia including the Gazli, Spitak, Tanshang earthquakes are among the collection. The SMDB includes parametric information on time histories in the database (seismic events, stations, recording instruments, and waveforms), digital waveforms, and scanned photo-images (bitmap files) of the historical strong motion records. Caveats: I could not view the scanned images of records on the WWW. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This page is Created David Wald (U.S.G.S) Maintained by David Wald (wald@usgs.gov) Last modified 4.16.97 (djw) General Disclaimer . ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATA SOURCES AND/OR ARCHIVES ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this section I list organizations which collect data and/or archive their own data (and/or others). Records can be obtained directly via on-line systems, as well as in a variety of formats, including magnetic tapes, floppy disks, CD-ROM, or hard copy. The format of the archives is likely to be a simple table with events listed by dates, followed by station lists. The NGDC CD-ROM collection does have a database to determine availability of records, more or less an inventory, but does not allow access to the data at the same time, so I do not categorize it under "DATABASES". Worldwide United California Japan Mexico Asia Europe Others States ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WORLDWIDE National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) NOAA Code E/GC1 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303 Contact: Paula Dunbar Telephone: (303) 497-6084, Fax: (303) 497-6513 email: info@mail.ngdc.noaa.gov URL: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/strong.html This large scale national archive for United States and Worldwide earthquake data, NGDC contains a strong motion archive of over 15,000 worldwide digitized and processed records dating from 1933 to 1994 and is available on a 3 CD-ROM collection. Date sources include USGS, CDMG, USC, LDGO, and numerous other agencies. Three types of processed records are included on the CDs: uncorrected (raw), corrected (filtered), and response spectra. To determine the availability of records, a database is available online (available at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/smcat.html) that contains trigger information, station characteristics and peak ground motion parameters. However, the data on the CD-ROMs are not online at this site. Caveats: CDMG data not available after 1987 on the CD-ROMS UNITED STATES U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (NSMP) 345 Middlefield Road, MS 977 Menlo Park, CA 94025 Contact: Chris Stevens Phone: (415) 329-4752 , Fax: (415) 329-5163 email: cdstephens@usgs.gov URL: http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov The USGS provides uncorrected ("Volume 1") data from the National Strong-Motion Program for recent (1990-1996) -1986) earthquakes online at the NSMP homepage http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov under "Data Sets". The data is from the USGS, Veteran's Affairs, Metropolitan Water District of Southern CA, DOE, Army Corps of Engineers, and selected instrumented local structures are included. Information about stations, the network and more can be found on the NSMP homepage. At this same site, the USGS also provides downloadable strong-motion (uncorrected "Volume 1") accelerograms of historical earthquakes in North and Central America and Hawaii for the years 1933-1986 from a number of agencies (including CDMG, USGS, CALTECH). The format is compressed ASCII files for either UNIX or DOS platforms. This data is also available on a CD-ROM produced by Linda C. Seekins, Gerald Brady, Catherine Carpenter, and Nicholas Brown. (USGS Digital Data Series DDS-7). Information about the CD-ROM is available at http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/data_sets/ncae.html To order the CD-ROM, send $32.00 to Map Sales, USGS, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225. Also available online is software that will correct and process these records at http://nsmp.wr.usgs.gov/bap.html. Off-line, the user's manual (USGS Open-File Report #92-296A) costs $4.00 for microfiche, $25.25 for hard copy. The software diskettes (USGS Open File Report #92-296B) cost $20.00. These reports can be obtained from Open-File Reports Section, USGS, Box 25425, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225. For more information, contact Linda Seekins, (415) 329-5661. Bureau of Land Management Army Corp of Engineers CALIFORNIA California Division of Mines and Geology (CDMG) Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP) 801 K Street, MS - 1335 Sacramento, CA 95814 Temporary Contact: Carl Petersen, cptrsen@consrv.ca.gov Contact: Robert Darragh Telephone: (916) 322-3105, Fax: (916) 323-7778 email: bdarragh@consrv.ca.gov URL: http://www.consrv.ca.gov/csmip The CSMIP ftp site is now a direct on-line source for CSMIP strong motion data, although CSMIP as always provides processed data for CDMG stations on paper, tape, or diskettes. The events available on-line can be found in directory pub/dmg/csmip on ftp.consrv.ca.gov by anonymous ftp or via the URL above. The WWW page is to be revised soon. See also http://www.consrv.ca.gov/dmg/pubs/cmsip.html for obtaining CSMIP reports. Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC) University of California Berkeley (UCB) Seismographic Station 475 McCone Hall #4760 Berkeley, CA 94720-4760 Contact: Telephone: (510) 642-3977, Fax: (510) 643-5811 email: wwwr@quake.geo.berkeley.edu URL: http://quake.geo.berkeley.edu/ Strong motion data from the Berkeley Digital Seismic Network's (BDSN) 14 broadband stations and strong-motion borehole stations from the Northern Hayward Fault Network (HFN) as "well". The Broadband Query and Request Form (BREQ_FAST) programs are used to see what data is available, and to obtain data in SEED format. SEED formatted data can be translated (to SAC, AH) with rdseed, available from Incorporated Reseach Institutions in Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC), but cannot be easily converted to readable ASCII format. An account is needed to login and and query the database and retrieve waveforms. To request an account, telnet quake.geo.berkeley.edu or see information contained on the downloadable users manual at the above URL. Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) DATA CENTER California Institute of Technology Seismo Lab 252-21 Pasadena, CA 91125 Contact: Katrin Hafner Telephone: (818) 395-2106, Fax: (818) 564-0715 email: webmgr@www.scecdc.scec.org URL: http://www.scecdc.scec.org under Seismic Waveform Data Strong motion data from CIT/USGS Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN) and TERRAscope stations are archived among other waveform data (short-period and broadband). Acceleration data is available in SAC format and station lists are also available on-line. An account is needed to login, query the database and retrieve waveforms. To request an account, telnet scec.gps.caltech.edu or see information contained on the downloadable users manual at the above URL. University of Southern California Earthquake (USC) Civil Engineering Dept., KAP 216A Los Angeles, CA 90089-2531 Contact: Maria Todorovska email: todorovs@mizar.usc.edu USC strong motion data for a number of earthquakes in the southern California region are available on archives and databases such as SCEC SMDB and NGDC. Northridge data is also available by direct ftp to ftp://usc.edu/pub/todorovs. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) POWER STATIONS: Contact: Ron Tognazzini WATER SITES: Contact: Craig Davis Telephone: (213) 367-0855 email: cdavis@dwp.ci.la.ca.us URL: http://www.ladwp.com? Developement of a Web site for data access is underway. Southern California Edison (SCE) Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) JAPAN National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention - Kyoshin Net (KNET), Japan National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention 3-1, Tennodai Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305, Japan Telephone: 0298-54-4940 Fax: 0298-54-4941 email: postmaster@knetgk.k-net.bosai.go.jp URL: http://www.bosai.go.jp (NIED Home Page) or for direct access to K-Net: http://www.k-net.bosai.go.jp The K-NET system provides rapid access to strong motion data from 1000 new (1995-6) observatories throughout Japan. Data can be in UNIX, DOS, or ASCII format, depending on the user's request. Internet users can also search the K-NET archives of strong-motion records, site information, and maximum acceleration data, and details about the Kyoshin Net. Japan Railway Company (JR) Conference on Usage of Earthquakes (CUE) UrEDAS R&D Promotion Department Railway Technical Research Institute 2-8-38 Hikari-cho Kokubunji-shi Tokyo 185, Japan Contact: Jun Saita, Secretary (jun@rtri.or.jp) Telephone: +81 425 74 1202 Fax: +81 425 74 1205 URL: http://www.rtri.or.jp/rd/UrEDAS/CUEmainE.html Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) Office of Civil Engineering and Architecture 3-3-22 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-70 Japan Contact: Mr. Masaki Masumoto, Deputy Director Telephone: +81 6 441 8821, Fax: +81 6 441 3879 Committee of Earthquake Observation and Research in the Kansai Area (CEORKA) Geo-Research Institute, Osaka 3-1-23 Nishi-hommachi, Nishi-ku Osaka, 550, Japan Contact: Secretariat Fax: +81 6 536 1739 Building Research Institude (BRI) Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Kansai Internal Airport Company Kobe Marine Meteorological Observatory Ministry of Construction Osaka Gas Company Port and Harbor Research Institute (PHRI) MEXICO Instituto de Ingenieria (UNAM) and U. Nevada, Reno Seismological Lab - Guerrero Accelerograph Network Seismology Laboratory, UNR University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV 89557 U.S. Contact: John Anderson Telephone: (702) 784-4265, Fax: (702) 784-1833 email: jga@seismo.unr.edu URL: http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/zeng/GUERRERO/guerrero.html Instituto de Ingenieria Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico Ciudad Universitaria Coyoacan 04510, Mexico Mexican Contact: Roberto Quaas Telephone: (525) 622-3413, Fax: (525) 616-1514 email: rqw@pumas.iingen.unam.mx A collaborative effort of the Seismological Laboratory, UNR, and the Instituto de Ingeneria, UNAM, the Guerrero Network consists of 30 digital strong motion accelerographs in Guerrero, and neighboring states, Mexico. The Guerrero Strong Motion Network Archive provides acceleration records from 1985 to 1995. Mexican Strong Motion Database Contact: Roberto Quaas Telephone: (52-5) 606-9486, Fax: (52-5) 606-1608 email: rqw@pumas.iingen.unam.mx URL: http://www.mexacceldb.unam.mx/db/english.html RUSSIA See Strong Motion Data Base (SMDB) of the Center of Geophysical Data Studies and Telematics Applications ( http://perun.wdcb.rssi.ru/SMDB) under "DATABASES" on previous web page. SWITZERLAND Swiss National Strong Motion Network Swiss Seismological Service ETH Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich tel: +41 (0)1 633 32 43, fax: +41 (0)1 633 10 65 Contact: Patrick Smit email: smit@seismo.ifg.ethz.ch URL: http://seismo.ethz.ch:80/networks/strong_motion/strong_motion.html ITALY Friuli Strong-Motion Network Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, University of Trieste email: costa@geosun0.univ.trieste.it URL: http://www.dst.univ.trieste.it/raf.html Caveats: Web page currently under developement TURKEY GREAT BRITON Imperial College London OTHERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRODUCTS AND INFORMATION ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Below are links to strong motion related pages in various categories. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- STRONG GROUND MOTION MAPS Trinet (USGS,CDMG,CALTECH) rapid interactive ground motion contour maps and focal mechanism following earthquakes in southern California. http://www-socal.wr.usgs.gov/pga.html USGS, CDMG, and CALTECH ground motion parameters are used to generate a rapid (about 3-5 minutes after the event) map and the first motion focal mechanism for significant earthquakes in southern California (M>4.0). Maps of peak ground ground velocity and peak ground acceleration are shown atop high resolution topography and the freeway system for geographic reference. The maps are image maps: selecting a station brings forth information about the station location and peak motion values; selecting the epicenter returns the earthquake parameters. STRONG GROUND MOTION MODELING A collection of strong motion maps and finite-fault (slip) source models for California earthquakes. http://www-socal.wr.usgs.gov/wald/SlipModels/index.html USGS Pasadena collection of strong motion maps and strong motion slip models. Clickable imagemap to choose earthquake, and then maps of strong motion data shown atop topography. Allows visual comparison of source geometry and site effects (based on topography) verses amplitude of ground motions. Source models are then visible, and downloadable in digital form. Rupture movies and images when available. OTHER INFORMATION NCEER Guide to Obtaining Strong Motion Records http://nceer.eng.buffalo.edu/agrams/gromot.html National Center for Earthquake Engineering and Research (NCEER) has information about obtaining strong motion data, and recommended relevant publications NCEER's Strong Motion Records for Individual Events http://nceer.eng.buffalo.edu/agrams/agrams.html National Center for Earthquake Engineering and Research (NCEER) has chosen records from several important events, particularly in eastern North America. CIT Strong Motion Accelerogram Transfer System http://www.eerl.caltech.edu/smarts/smarts.html SMARTS enables users to browse, find, view, and plot various accelerograms from the Caltech and other databases, and to compute and plot Fourier and Response Spectra. Recently introduced Interstory Drift Demand Spectrum can also be computed and plotted. The QuickBasic source code is provided so that users can easily modify and expand the package to fit their specific needs. ANTICIPATED NETWORKS AND DATA SOURCES TRINET - Caltech, CDMG, USGS southern California rapid shake maps and data access. Taiwan (Central Weather Bureau) rapid strong motion maps and data (perhaps through IRIS?).