SEISMOLOGY AND GEOLOGY OFFICE

The Seismology Office performs administrative, expert and other tasks in the area of seismology and geology. It continuously monitors and evaluates seismic activity within and beyond the territory of Slovenia, and informs the relevant state bodies, media and the public about major events.

It ensures the appropriate international exchange of data with world seismology centres. It plans and sets up permanent earthquake observation stations and observation networks on the territory of Slovenia, and also deploys temporary earthquake stations as necessary. The national network of earthquake observation stations consists of 25 stations with the most up-to-date equipment, which (on a trial basis) enable the calculation of earthquake parameters in real time. It oversees operational and other monitoring. Following earthquakes it carries out macro seismic research, collects and processes historical data on earthquakes and produces earthquake catalogues.

Within the context of geological tasks, it records geological and geophysical phenomena. It collects and examines data on geological, geophysical, neotectonic, seismotectonic and similar phenomena linked to seismic activity. It plans the production of maps of geological risk and hazards for individual parts of Slovenia on the basis of earthquake activity.

It also performs administrative, expert and other tasks in the area of earthquake and seismological engineering, it formulates the expert basis for regulations and standards for earthquake-proof construction, it draws up documentation for earthquake proofing of important structures, and processes and interprets acceleration records of powerful earthquakes. It produces maps of earthquake risk and hazards on the basis of earthquakes or accelerations.

It provides the information technology of the Office, which covers a network of hardware and software and it prepares announcements of seismological events at home and abroad. Since there is no study of seismology in Slovenia, it trains the staff of the Office in processing and evaluating continuous records of earthquake activity and in the introduction of purpose-made hardware and software. It collaborates in numerous domestic and international projects.