Seismic monitoring and early damage assessment systems in Japan

Abstract

AbstractRecent developments of seismic monitoring systems and early damage assessment systems in Japan are reviewed. National and local governments in Japan have deployed numerous seismic instruments for the purpose of disaster management, mostly after the 1995 Kobe earthquake. Utility companies and highway authorities have also established seismic networks in order to use earthquake information for supply or traffic control just after the occurrence of an earthquake. Based on the collected seismic information and the GIS‐based inventory data, held on computer, early damage assessments are conducted and the results are used for emergency management at the stage when actual damage information is scarce. In this paper, typical seismic networks and early damage assessment systems recently developed in Japan are presented and their roles in disaster management and future directions are discussed.