OpenQuake

OpenQuake
Name	OpenQuake
Developer	Global Earthquake Model
Released	2013
Latest release	3.x
Programming language	Python, C++, Fortran
Operating system	Linux, Windows, macOS
License	GNU Lesser General Public License
Website	OpenQuake Engine

OpenQuake is an open-source seismic risk assessment platform created to compute earthquake hazard, exposure, and loss. The project integrates probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, scenario-based loss modelling, and risk aggregation to support United Nations initiatives, national agencies, and academic research. The software underpins operational workflows used by organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and national seismic institutes, providing reproducible analyses for policy, insurance, and urban planning decisions.

Overview

OpenQuake is produced by the Global Earthquake Model consortium and provides a modular engine and a suite of tools for quantitative seismic risk analysis. The platform implements probabilistic and deterministic methods established by standards from bodies like the International Seismological Centre and research published by authors affiliated with institutions such as California Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Université Paris, and University of Tokyo. Typical outputs include hazard maps, hazard curves, ground motion fields, and loss exceedance curves used by stakeholders such as the European Commission, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and private reinsurers.

History and development

The OpenQuake initiative originated from a 2009 call within the Global Earthquake Model to create an open, transparent engine for seismic risk, drawing on methodologies codified by the US Geological Survey, European Seismological Commission, and leading researchers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Imperial College London. Initial development involved contributions from teams at University College London, University of Bristol, Politecnico di Milano, and the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. Milestones include the first public release in 2013, adoption by the World Bank for country risk assessments, and successive versions incorporating capabilities from projects funded by the European Union and philanthropic partners like the Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust. The project has been guided by collaborations with experts from Stanford University, ETH Zurich, Seismological Society of America, and national observatories such as INGV and JMA.

Architecture and components

OpenQuake's architecture separates core computation, data models, and user interfaces. The engine is implemented with components in Python and high-performance modules in C++, with numerical libraries influenced by work at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Key components include a hazard module for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis, a ground-motion logic tree manager influenced by methodologies from USGS and ANSS, and a vulnerability-exposure module interoperable with exposure inventories produced by UN-Habitat, OECD, and national census bureaus. Data schemas align with metadata standards endorsed by International Organization for Standardization committees and digitization efforts led by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. The platform exposes command-line interfaces and APIs used by clients implemented by teams at Google, Microsoft Research, and open-source communities such as the Apache Software Foundation.

Scientific methodology

OpenQuake implements probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) and scenario-based loss modelling following frameworks developed by scholars at Benfield, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and California Institute of Technology. Ground motion prediction equations and logic trees incorporate peer-reviewed relations from journals like the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America and Earthquake Spectra, with peer contributions from researchers at University of Athens, University of Chile, and Tohoku University. The platform supports epistemic and aleatory uncertainty treatment, seismic source characterizations (fault-based and distributed seismicity), and site-specific response via engineering models used by firms such as Arup and RMS. Loss modelling integrates fragility functions, replacement cost approaches, and casualty estimation informed by studies from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, and humanitarian agencies including Médecins Sans Frontières.

Applications and use cases

OpenQuake is applied in national seismic hazard maps produced for countries that have collaborated with the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, in insurance and reinsurance modelling workflows employed by firms like Munich Re and Swiss Re, and in urban resilience planning undertaken by UN-Habitat and city authorities such as City of Los Angeles and Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Research applications include retrospective analyses of events like the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, and the 2010 Maule earthquake, as well as forward-looking scenario studies for infrastructure networks operated by entities such as European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity and Network Rail. Educational and capacity-building use cases are supported by training collaborations with universities including University of Canterbury, Ankara University, and National Technical University of Athens.

Community and governance

Governance of the OpenQuake project occurs within the Global Earthquake Model framework, with technical guidance from advisory panels that have included members from International Seismological Centre, Seismological Society of America, and the Engineering MechanicaI Society. Development contributions come from an international community of researchers and engineers affiliated with institutions such as University of Zagreb, National Research Council (Italy), and Instituto Geofísico del Perú. Community engagement includes workshops held with partners like the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, community code contributions through platforms inspired by GitHub workflows, and coordination with standard-setting bodies such as Open Geospatial Consortium.

Category:Seismology Category:Scientific software