Recent development of a co-operative National Accelerometric Network in France (RAP) : description and first results.
Abstract
France is a country of moderate seismicity but, due to dense urbanised and industrial areas, the seismic hazard is significant. Furthermore, recent developments in numerical and semi-empirical methods request a good knowledge of several parameters. The mission of the French accelerometric network project (RAP, Reseau Accelerometrique Permanent) is to expand and modernise significantly the acquisition and application of French accelerometric data (both strong and weak motion) in order to improve earthquakes related research and public safety from earthquakes . The RAP project has been established with the support of the French Ministry of Environnement. This network is the result of co-operative efforts including academic institutions (INSU-CNRS, Universities of Grenoble, Nice, Strasbourg, Toulouse, IPG Paris) and several state agencies (BRGM, CEA, IPSN, LCPC). New accelerometric stations and software have been especially developed in order to record both strong and weak motions. Around 50 of these new stations have been installed in the last 5 years in some seismic areas of France (Alps, French Riviera, Rhine Valley, Pyrennees, French Caraibes).This network also includes one borehole station located in the Grenoble basin and 2 urban arrays located in Nice and Grenoble. Other French accelerometric stations (around 30 stations around the Durance fault and in the Rhone Valley) devoted to strong motion recording are also associated to the network. All data are archived and freely distributed in a database center. http:/www-rap.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr Weak motions data collected trough this new network have already given the opportunity to characterise significant site effects in urban areas (Lourdes, Nice and Grenoble). The data collected during the year 2001 magnitude 4.9 Nice earthquake have also been compared to usual European attenuation laws used for earthquake engineering.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUFM.S42C0664H
- Keywords:
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- 7212 Earthquake ground motions and engineering;
- 7215 Earthquake parameters;
- 7223 Seismic hazard assessment and prediction;
- 7294 Instruments and techniques