1. Name:  Héctor Sandoval Gómez 

2. Organization: Engineering Institute, National Autonomous University of Mexico

3. Course: 2000-2001 (ID: J-00-00634) Choice of group :SH

4. Title:  Seismological and Accelerographic networks, Important tools for researching and reducing earthquake damages

5. Abstract:
A big part of the Mexican territory is affected by earthquakes, which produce effects in a great or minor scale in the human settlements. The study of this natural phenomenon has been favored in the last 30 years thanks to the establishment of the seismologycal and accelerographic networks located near the epicenters and in many important settlements. At present, the studies let us recognize many high seismic risk zones and to understand the seismic effects on buildings and in many other important structures. The construction codes have been changed since the past experiences showed different kind of behavior in structures due to the seismic forces. There has been a very important advance in the studies of the seismic source and in the way the seismic waves propagate inner continent. In spite of the advances in these areas, there is too much to discover in new instrumented zones, and there are many cities with practically a total lack of seismic risk studies.