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| European Macroseismic Scale | |
|---|---|
| Name | European Macroseismic Scale |
| Developed by | European Seismological Commission; originally by Giuseppe Mercalli-style committees and O. E. Omori-influenced observers |
| Introduced | 1971 (EMS-1971); revised 1998 (EMS-98) |
| Type | Macroseismic intensity scale |
| Regions | Europe, Mediterranean Sea, North Africa, Middle East |
| Scale | 1–12 |
European Macroseismic Scale
The European Macroseismic Scale is a standardised intensity scale used to assess earthquake effects based on observed human, structural, and environmental impacts in Europe, the Mediterranean Sea region, and adjacent territories such as North Africa and the Middle East. It was developed by the European Seismological Commission, informed by historical practices from the Mercalli intensity scale, the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale, and the work of seismologists linked to institutions like the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior and national agencies such as the British Geological Survey and the Institut national de l'information géographique et forestière. The scale underpins seismic hazard mapping, emergency planning, and post-event reconnaissance carried out by organisations including the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism and national civil protection agencies.
The EMS grew from a lineage of intensity scales that includes the Giuseppe Mercalli-originated scales, the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale used in the Soviet Union, and observational schemes promoted by researchers at the United States Geological Survey and the International Seismological Centre. Development was coordinated under the auspices of the European Seismological Commission with contributions from committees involving representatives of the Council of Europe, national observatories such as the Observatoire de Paris and the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, and academic departments at universities like Imperial College London and the University of Athens. EMS-98, the widely adopted revision, resulted from workshops and draft reviews involving experts from Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, and Germany, reflecting lessons from significant earthquakes such as the 1976 Friuli earthquake, the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, and the 1999 İzmit earthquake.
EMS assigns twelve integer intensity degrees (I–XII) that describe progressively severe effects on people, buildings, and the natural environment, with descriptors adapted for modern European building stocks and heritage structures. The intensity degrees relate to classification schemes used by the Mercalli, MSK-64, and JMA intensity scale systems, enabling cross-referencing in catalogs maintained by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the Global Centroid Moment Tensor project, and national agencies such as the Geological Survey of Finland. Each EMS degree is defined with reference to Vulnerability Classes A–F derived from typologies used by institutes like the Austro-Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying and standards from the International Organization for Standardization and European technical committees.
The EMS methodology prescribes collection of macroseismic observations via structured questionnaires, field surveys, post-event rapid assessments, and archival research, coordinated by organisations such as the European Seismological Commission, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and national observatories like the Greek Institute of Geodynamics. Data sources include eyewitness reports compiled by municipal authorities like the Comune di L'Aquila, damage reports from heritage bodies such as UNESCO-listed site custodians, and instrumental inputs from networks operated by INGV, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, and BGS. Analysts apply intensity assignment procedures to corridors and polygons on maps used in seismic hazard models created by consortia including the Seismic Hazard Harmonization in Europe project and the European Plate Observing System.
EMS intensities are used for seismic hazard and risk assessments performed by the European Commission, insurance and reinsurance firms such as companies in the Insurance Europe community, and heritage conservation entities like ICOMOS when evaluating earthquake vulnerability at sites like the Acropolis of Athens and the Colosseum. Emergency management agencies including Protezione Civile in Italy and the National Disaster Management Authority in Turkey rely on EMS-based rapid assessment procedures during operations coordinated with the European Civil Protection framework. Scientific applications include paleoseismology studies by researchers at the University of Cambridge, seismic catalog compilation at the International Seismological Centre, and calibration of ground-motion prediction equations used by the European Seismic Risk Observatory.
EMS is frequently compared with the Mercalli scale, the MSK-64, the Richter magnitude scale (a magnitude scale rather than intensity), and the Japanese Meteorological Agency intensity scale, with conversion tables and crosswalks produced by institutions like the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre and the USGS. Unlike magnitude scales produced by the International Seismological Centre or the Global Seismographic Network, EMS focuses on localized effects and building performance, aligning with vulnerability classifications used by engineering bodies such as the European Committee for Standardization and the European Association for Earthquake Engineering.
Critiques of EMS highlight challenges in subjective observer bias documented in studies at the University of Bologna and the Technical University of Crete, difficulties in applying vulnerability classes across diverse inventories including medieval masonry in Venice and reinforced concrete in Lisbon, and inconsistencies in datasets held by organisations such as the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre and national archives. Other limitations noted by scholars affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization and the Swiss Seismological Service include sparse rural reporting in regions like the Alps and the Balkans, temporal changes in building practice after events like the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, and problems harmonising EMS outputs with instrumental intensity proxies from networks such as NORSAR.
EMS has been implemented in national seismic intensity programs in Italy, Greece, Turkey, France, and Spain, informing post-event surveys after earthquakes including the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake, the 2014 Cephalonia earthquake, and the 2011 Lorca earthquake. Case studies published by institutions like the European Seismological Commission and universities including Sapienza University of Rome and the National Technical University of Athens document application of EMS protocols to urban damage mapping in cities such as Bologna, Istanbul, Athens, and Lisbon, and to recovery planning coordinated with EU instruments like the European Regional Development Fund.
Category:Seismology Category:Earthquake engineering Category:European Seismological Commission