Dear colleagues,
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new ORFEUS SM-SMC Working Group dedicated to seismological station installation effects.
Recent studies have shown that installation conditions can significantly affect recorded ground motions, sometimes over frequency ranges of direct interest for seismology, engineering seismology and seismic hazard assessment. At the same time, information describing these installation conditions is often incomplete or insufficiently standardized in station metadata.
The objectives, scope and proposed activities of the Working Group are described in more detail in the attached roadmap.
Installation effect WG Roadmap.pdf (153.8 KB)
We will hold a first online meeting on Monday, 12 October 2026, from 14:00 to 16:00 CET, to introduce the initiative, discuss the proposed roadmap and priorities, and organize the next steps of the Working Group.
While initiated within the SM-SMC, the scope of this Working Group is broader, and participation from the whole ORFEUS community is strongly encouraged. Installation effects are not restricted to strong-motion stations: they can also significantly affect broadband stations and the subsequent use and interpretation of their data.
We therefore particularly encourage network operators, data providers and users from both the strong-motion and broadband communities to participate.
Anyone interested in participating in the Working Group and/or attending this first meeting is invited to contact us at fabrice.hollender@cea.fr or pauline.rischette@edf.fr. A connection link and further information will then be circulated to participants.
Best regards,
Fabrice Hollender and Pauline Rischette
on behalf of the ORFEUS SM-SMC Working Group on Seismological Station Installation Effects