Cahiers du Centre Europeen de Geodynamique et de Seismologie, Vol. 15. — Luxembourg, 1998. — 99 p.The basis for establishing the EMS was the MSK scale, which itself is an update relying on the experiences being available in the early 1960s from the application of the Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg Scale (MCS), the Modified Mercalli scale (MM-31 and MM-56) and the Medvedev scale, known also as the GEOFIAN-scale, from 1953. Slight, barely noticeably changes to the MSK-64 were proposed by Medvedev in 1976 and 1978. At that time it became evident to many users that the scale needed several improvements, more clarity, and adjustment to incorporate newly introduced construction techniques. An analysis of the problems arising from the application of the MSK-64 scale was made by an Ad-Hoc Panel of Experts during a meeting in Jena in March 1980 (published in Gerlands Beitr. Geophys., 1981, where the earlier proposals by S.V.Medvedev were incorporated). The recommendations for changes of the scale from this group of experts were generally of a minor nature. This version served as the initial platform for the activities of the Working Group.
One of the main intentions for the creation of the new scale was not to change the internal consistency of the scale. This would result in intensity evaluations which would be different from earlier applications of the widely used twelve degree scales and which would require a reclassification of all earlier intensity assessments. This should be avoided at all costs. It would result in a complete confusion in all studies on seismicity and seismic hazard which depend heavily on macroseismic data.
The whole process of establishing first the EMS-92 and finally the EMS-98 went on for almost ten years - including several long lasting breaks, which were essential for gathering further experiences. The given version of the EMS should represent a subsequent final stage of these activities in the scale’s updating. Further macroseismic practice may enable a deeper insight into the complex matters of assigning intensity. Future applications or future needs might be the basis for further improvements of this new tool in the seismological and engineering practice for classifying the effects of earthquakes on humans, on objects in the human’s environment, or on buildings as an essential element of the human society.
