Request for Comments, QuakeML Basic Event Description, Version 1.0
RFC_BED_1.0 QuakeML 1.0 RFC Overview
Magnitude, Amplitude
This is the Request for Comments page for the QuakeML elements Magnitude and Amplitude. Please add comments which are related to these aspects of QuakeML at the bottom of the page. Please also give your name and the submission date.
Open Issue - Representation of duration magnitude
QuakeML version 1.0 seems to support both amplitudes and durations adequately in the Amplitude elements. However, the documentation needs to be more symmetric. In particular, to represent an amplitude, the amp attribute is required, but the timeWindow is not. However, to represent a duration, the reverse needs to be true (i.e., the amp should have a multiplicity of 0..1).
Ray Buland, 2008-02-01 (transferred from old trac Wiki by FabianEuchner)
Note: this comment refers to a pre-RFC discussion (FabianEuchner).
- scalingTime is intended to be the time that an amplitude was measured on a record. It is used in the IMF (and ISF) formats to make it easier to reproduce the results of a network operator.
It is not clear why waveformID should be in StationMagnitude. StationMagnitude references an amplitude, which must have a waveformID for completeness. If there is no associated amplitude, the waveformID is probably not know either.
Ray Buland, 2008-02-05 (transferred from old trac Wiki by FabianEuchner)
Concerning magnitude codes, does they match the last IASPEI recommendations on the nomenclature of magnitudes. For example, QuakeML proposes Mb for bodywave magnitude. But "Mb" is different from "mb". Both exists but are not computed the same way. Moreover, MagnitudeCode maybe should not be a free-text field because this may prevent a user from seeking "all events with mb>5.0" for example. Magnitude code should be a key-parameter for data request.
- Many institutes report several magnitudes for a same event and a same origin. For example value of mb, ML and MS.
Is there a possibility to set a Preferred Magnitude somewhere like it is possible for the preferred location ?
What is the "ScalingTime" that appear in the definition of Amplitude element ?
G. Mazet-Roux : mazet@emsc-csem.org 17/03/2008