The Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale is a seismic scale used in Japan to measure the intensity of earthquakes. It is measured in units of shindo (??, seismic intensity, "degree of shaking"). Unlike magnitude measures such as the moment magnitude scale (Mw), and the earlier Richter magnitude scale, which attempt to describe the energy released by the earthquake, the JMA scale describes the degree of shaking at various points on the Earth's surface, and is analogous to the Mercalli intensity scale. The intensity of an earthquake is not totally determined by its magnitude, but varies with event's depth, and distance from the event; for example, a quake may be described as "shindo 4 in Tokyo, shindo 3 in Yokohama, shindo 2 in Shizuoka".
The JMA operates a network of 180 seismographs and 627 seismic intensity meters and provides real-time earthquake reports to the media and on the Internet.
Video Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale
History
Japan experiences about 400 earthquakes every day, although the vast majority are shindo scale "0" or less and detectable only using specialist apparatus.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) first assigned a four-stage Shindo in 1884, with the levels: ? (faint), ? (weak), ? (strong), and ? (violent).
In 1898 this scale was changed to a numerical system, assigning earthquakes levels 0-7.
In 1908, the levels on this scale were given descriptions, and earthquakes were assigned levels based on their perceived effect on people. This scale was widely used during the Meiji period, and revised during the Sh?wa period with the descriptions seeing an overhaul.
Following the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995, the first time an earthquake had received the highest rating of 7 on the scale, levels 5 and 6 were divided in two, giving a total of 10 levels of earthquake: 0-4, lower/upper 5 (5??5?, "weak 5"/"strong 5"), lower/upper 6 (6??6?, "weak 6"/"strong 6") and 7.
The Shindo scale has been used in Japan from 1996 without change.
Maps Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale
Scale explanation
The JMA Scale runs from 0 to 7, with 7 being the strongest. The Mercalli intensity scale is sometimes used together with the Shindo; however this is not usual practice in Japan. Real-time earthquake reports are calculated automatically from measurements of ground acceleration. The JMA reports the earthquake level based on the ground acceleration, measured automatically with seismic intensity meters. There is no simple and linear relationship between Shindo Number and peak ground acceleration as Shindo Number also depend on duration, so the values of the table below should only be regarded as an approximate orientation.
Comparison with other seismic scales
A 1971 study that collected intensities in both the JMA Shindo scale and Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale (MSK scale). showed that the Shindo scale is more suitable for smaller earthquakes, whereas the MSK scale is more suitable for larger earthquakes. The research also suggested that, for small earthquakes up to Shindo scale 3, the MSK value is correlated with the Shindo value ("J") by the formula MSK = 1.5J + 1.5, whereas for larger earthquakes the correlation is MSK = 1.5J + 0.75.
See also
- Earthquake engineering
- Japanese Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction
- List of earthquakes in Japan
- Nuclear power in Japan (seismicity section)
- Seismic intensity scales
- Seismic magnitude scales
References
External links
- Last 7 days of earth earthquakes in Japan, Japanese language. Circled number is Shindo(??) Number. Format is: Hypocenter, location, north latitude, east longitude, and depth.
- JMA Seismic Intensity Scale in both Japanese and English language.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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