SEISMOLOGICAL SERVICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SEISMOLOGY
Institute of Geosciences, Polytechnic University of Tirana
The Department of Seismology (DS) offers a wide range of services in the field of instrumental and applied seismology, oriented towards scientific research, institutional support, and collaboration with third parties.
Services for Scientific Collaboration and Inter-Institutional Relations
The Seismological Bulletin of the Albanian Seismic Network (ASN) is the main output of the earthquake monitoring process in Albania and serves as the official record of local and regional seismicity.
It is produced by the DS, under the National Center for Seismic Monitoring (NCSM), and represents the most authoritative source of seismic data in the country.
Since July 2009, the bulletin has been indexed with ISSN: 2664-410X.
The data include earthquakes from 1974 onwards, with professional review and relocation when new data or model updates become available.
Access:
- [Download latest PDF bulletin]
- [Access previous bulletins (subscription required)]
Event Processing by Magnitude:
- M < 2.0 → Automatic registration; reviewed in special cases
- M 2.0–3.0 → Routine review; prioritized if reported by other networks
- M ≥ 3.0 → Full review and relocation; prioritized for publication
Geographic Priority:
- Region 38°–43°N, 18.5°–21.5°E is prioritized • Outside this zone → reviewed only for important events or those reported by partner networks
The Moment Tensor (MT) service is a key component of seismic source analysis, providing automatic computation of earthquake source parameters in real time. It relies on ASN data and data from regional networks.
Publication:
- MT solutions are published within minutes at the [IGJEO Website]
Methodology:
- GISOLA platform (SeisComP + ISOLA)
- Full-wavefield modeling
- Iterative deconvolution
- Green's functions (Axitra, Cotton & Coutant 1997)
Local Implementation:
- Dr. Edmond Dushi & Dr. Besian Rama (2022)
- Technical configuration and data flow: Dr. Rama
- Final review and quality control: Dr. Dushi
Regional Cooperation:
- EMSC • ISC
Databases of historical and instrumental earthquakes, regularly updated for scientific use and seismic hazard assessment.
[Search the seismic catalog]
- Participation in networks like AdriaArray, EPOS • Deployment of temporary networks in collaboration with national and international partners
Services for Civil Protection and Inter-Institutional Cooperation
- 24/7 monitoring via ASN
- Automatic calculation of parameters, focal mechanism, and ShakeMap
- Real-time generation of ground shaking intensity maps:
- PGA (Peak Ground Acceleration)
- SA (Spectral Acceleration)
- Macroseismic Intensity (Modified Mercalli Scale)
- Results from accelerometric data analysis for engineering applications
- PSHA (Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis)
- Uniform hazard spectra
- Seismic hazard maps
Services for Third Parties and the Private Sector
- Microzonation
- Monitoring of active faults
- Induced seismicity (dams, fluid injection, explosions)
- Deployment of temporary stations
- Reports for construction, urban planning, and environmental impact assessments
- Waveform and parametric data
- For scientific or engineering use