Why do we monitor UK earthquakes?
The UK is a region of low seismicity, by global standards, and long-term examination of both the instrumental and historical data is required for seismic risk assessment. Statistical tables of the occurrence frequency are produced, enabling more accurate calculations of seismic risk, that is, the expected amount of damage which may occur in a given period of time. This is a combination of seismic hazard, the level of ground motion which is expected due to seismic activity, and seismic vulnerability, the amount of damage experienced by a structure due to a given level of ground motion. These factors are considered when engineering for sensitive installations and appropriate precautions can then be taken to prevent damage.
