The Quake Markup Language (QuakeML) is a flexible, extensible and modular

XML Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing data. It defines a set of rules for encoding electronic document, documents in a format that is both human-readable and Machine-r ...

representation of seismological data (e.g.

epicenter The epicenter (), epicentre, or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates. Determination The primary purpose of a ...

hypocenter A hypocenter or hypocentre (), also called ground zero or surface zero, is the point on the Earth's surface directly below a nuclear explosion, meteor air burst, or other mid-air explosion. In seismology, the hypocenter of an earthquake is its ...

, magnitude) which is intended to cover a broad range of fields of application in modern

seismology Seismology (; from Ancient Greek σεισμός (''seismós'') meaning "earthquake" and -λογία (''-logía'') meaning "study of") is the scientific study of earthquakes (or generally, quakes) and the generation and propagation of elastic ...

. The flexible approach of QuakeML allows further extensions of the standard in order to represent

wave In physics, mathematics, engineering, and related fields, a wave is a propagating dynamic disturbance (change from List of types of equilibrium, equilibrium) of one or more quantities. ''Periodic waves'' oscillate repeatedly about an equilibrium ...

form data, macroseismic information,

probability density function In probability theory, a probability density function (PDF), density function, or density of an absolutely continuous random variable, is a Function (mathematics), function whose value at any given sample (or point) in the sample space (the s ...

s, slip distributions, shake maps, and others. QuakeML is an open standard and is developed by a distributed team in a transparent collaborative manner.

Development

QuakeML is developed in parallel with a UML representation of its data model. This allows an elaborate software development strategy which uses the UML class model together with a custom UML profile. The XML Schema (XSD) description is created automatically from the UML model with the help of tagged values, which describe the mapping from UML class attributes to XML representation. The UML/ XMI description can also be used as a basis for automated creation of a class library using code generators. Suitable programming languages are, e.g.,

Python Python may refer to: Snakes * Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia ** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia * Python (mythology), a mythical serpent Computing * Python (prog ...

, C++, and

Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...

. In this approach, writing and reading QuakeML documents is equivalent to serializing/deserializing QuakeML objects to/from their

representation. A further possibility would be the serialization/deserialization to/from

SQL Structured Query Language (SQL) (pronounced ''S-Q-L''; or alternatively as "sequel") is a domain-specific language used to manage data, especially in a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is particularly useful in handling s ...

for persistent storage in a

relational database A relational database (RDB) is a database based on the relational model of data, as proposed by E. F. Codd in 1970. A Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) is a type of database management system that stores data in a structured for ...

. The QuakeML language definition is supplemented by a concept to provide resource

metadata Metadata (or metainformation) is "data that provides information about other data", but not the content of the data itself, such as the text of a message or the image itself. There are many distinct types of metadata, including: * Descriptive ...

and facilitate metadata exchange between distributed data providers. For that purpose, QuakeML proposes a

URI Uri may refer to: Places * Canton of Uri, a canton in Switzerland * Úri, a village and commune in Hungary * Uri, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province * Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, a town in India * Uri (island), off Malakula Island in V ...

-based format for unique, location-independent identifiers of seismological resources which are assigned by approved naming authorities. In a later development stage, QuakeML will provide a RDF vocabulary for resource metadata description, covering the resource's identity, curation, content, temporal availability, data quality, and associated services. QuakeML proposes to set up a network of registry institutions which offer

web service A web service (WS) is either: * a service offered by an electronic device to another electronic device, communicating with each other via the Internet, or * a server running on a computer device, listening for requests at a particular port over a n ...

s for resolving resource identifiers into corresponding RDF/XML metadata descriptions, and additionally provide means for resource discovery by offering services for searches against resource metadata.

Version 1.2

Version 1.2 is the latest stable version QuakeML. Schemas and other documentation for version 1.2 can be found here. This is the version that is used in results of event queries to

International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks The International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks, or FDSN, is a global organization consisting of groups that install and maintain digital, broadband seismic recorders either nationally or globally. Any organizations operating more tha ...

(FDSN) web services and is supported by data centers around the world, such as the European Seismic Portal.

Version 2.0

QuakeML 2.0 will be the next major version. QuakeML up to version 1.2 covered (only) a basic seismic event description, whereas from v2.0 many new thematic packages will be available, and are currently under development. Currently, the following packages are under development with new first-level elements (child elements of quakeml): *Basic Event Description (BED) *Basic Event Description – Real Time (BED-RT) *Borehole *Hydraulic *Macroseismic *Seismic Source *Site Characterization *Station Characterization *Strong Motion Helper packages that do not define first-level elements: *Basic Event Description Types *Common *Filter *Resource Metadata *Waveform

QuakePy tools

QuakePy is a

package designed as a set of tools for statistical analyses of seismological data encoded using QuakeML. It provides a library of classes for earthquake catalog handling and computations, and plot routines for visualizing the obtained results. QuakePy is developed in Python as a fully open-source library, and it is based on multiple other tools such as GMT. Although QuakePy avoids the use of any proprietary software, many tools for Python allow for a

MATLAB MATLAB (an abbreviation of "MATrix LABoratory") is a proprietary multi-paradigm programming language and numeric computing environment developed by MathWorks. MATLAB allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementat ...

-like working environment, e.g.,

IPython IPython (Interactive Python) is a command shell for interactive computing in multiple programming languages, originally developed for the Python programming language, that offers introspection, rich media, shell syntax, tab completion, and his ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

QuakeML homepage
Seismology Earthquakes XML markup languages Industry-specific XML-based standards Emergency management software