Applications and Challenges of Strong Motion Instruments in Strong Motion Observation

Abstract eng:
Strong motion instruments play an important role in Chinese strong motion observation. The historical development and current status of strong motion instruments are presented in this article, and the role of the United States, Japan and China in their development is discussed. Strong motion records from around the world documenting, such typical abnormal waveforms as spikes, asymmetric waveforms, baseline drift, waveform mirroring and waveform duplication) are briefly discussed, even though the causes of such abnormalities have yet to be researched in depth and tests still are needed to help eliminate them. We believe that by studying abnormal waveforms in strong motion records, we can solve the existing problems of instruments and help develop new types of strong motion instruments. Corrections for instrument response errors in force-balance accelerometers with a band range of 0 to 30 Hz are briefly analyzed, and we believe that strong motion records obtained by early digital strong motion instruments are in need of correction. Every high-magnitude earthquake will bring challenges and opportunities for improving strong motion instruments. There is no exception in China. Earthquake prevention and disaster risk reduction became a major priority after the M8.0 Wenchuan earthquake. China has developed a seismic-intensity rapid reporting system and constructed an early warning network, and as a result has a strong need for high-quality strong motion instruments. At the same time, the continuous innovation and diversified development of strong motion observation requires higher-performing instruments that are multifunctional, intelligent, portable and easy to operate. So, strong motion instruments still need to be improved in reliability, timeliness and intelligence. Finally, it is important to keep track of new methods and technology in strong motion observation, and new instruments should be developed to meet China’s current needs.

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