The European Macroseismic Scale (EMS) is the basis for evaluation of seismic intensity in European countries and is also used in a number of countries outside Europe. Issued in 1998 as an update of the test version from 1992, the scale is referred to as EMS-98.
The history of the EMS began in 1988 when the European Seismological Commission (ESC) decided to review and update the Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik scale (MSK-64), which was used in its basic form in Europe for almost a quarter of a century. After more than five years of intensive research and development and a four-year testing period, the new scale was officially released. In 1996 the XXV General Assembly of the ESC in Reykjavik passed a resolution recommending the adoption of the new scale by the member countries of the European Seismological Commission.
The European Macroseismic Scale EMS-98 is the first seismic intensity scale designed to encourage co-operation between engineers and seismologists, rather than being for use by seismologists alone. It comes with a detailed manual, which includes guidelines, illustrations, and application examples.
Unlike the earthquake magnitude scales, which express the seismic energy released by an earthquake, EMS-98 intensity denotes how strongly an earthquake affects a specific place. The European Macroseismic Scale has 12 divisions, as follows:
| Short form | ||
|---|---|---|
| I. Not felt | Not felt, even under the most favourable circumstances. | |
| II. Scarcely felt | Vibration is felt only by individual people at rest in houses, especially on upper floors of buildings. | |
| III. Weak | The vibration is weak and is felt indoors by a few people. People at rest feel a swaying or light trembling. | |
| IV. Largely observed | The earthquake is felt indoors by many people, outdoors by very few. A few people are awakened. The level of vibration is not frightening. Windows, doors and dishes rattle. Hanging objects swing. | |
| V. Strong | The earthquake is felt indoors by most, outdoors by few. Many sleeping people awake. A few run outdoors. Buildings tremble throughout. Hanging objects swing considerably. China and glasses clatter together. The vibration is strong. Topheavy objects topple over. Doors and windows swing open or shut. | |
| VI. Slightly damaging | Felt by most indoors and by many outdoors. Many people in buildings are frightened and run outdoors. Small objects fall. Slight damage to many ordinary buildings; for example, fine cracks in plaster and small pieces of plaster fall. | |
| VII. Damaging | Most people are frightened and run outdoors. Furniture is shifted and objects fall from shelves in large numbers. Many ordinary buildings suffer moderate damage: small cracks in walls; partial collapse of chimneys. | |
| VIII. Heavily damaging | Furniture may be overturned. Many ordinary buildings suffer damage: chimneys fall; large cracks appear in walls and a few buildings may partially collapse. | |
| IX. Destructive | Monuments and columns fall or are twisted. Many ordinary buildings partially collapse and a few collapse completely. | |
| X. Very destructive | Many ordinary buildings collapse. | |
| XI. Devastating | Most ordinary buildings collapse. | |
| XII. Completely devastating | Practically all structures above and below ground are heavily damaged or destroyed. | |
| With respect to the full version the given external link should be used. | ||
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