Verification of macroseismic methods on five M-L > 5 instrumental earthquakes in France.

Scotti, O; Levret, A; Hernandez, B. PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH PART A-SOLID EARTH AND GEODESY, 24: (6) 495-499.

Macroseismic data available for five of the most recent M-L>5 earthquakes that occurred in the Pyrenees and in the Alps, were analyzed using the Sponheuer and the Levret relationship to estimate depth and magnitude respectively. The aim of this paper is to verify if simple and robust macroseismic methods used on recent instrumental earthquakes may provide a good tool to calibrate historical events in France. The excellent agreement found between macroseismic and instrumental estimates shows that macroseismic data of historical events may provide the means to lengthen the instrumental catalogue and better constrain the recurrence rates of earthquakes in moderate seismic rate regions.