Jordskjelvstasjonen i Bergen gjennom 125 år

Abstract

Seismological studies in Norway initiated in the early 19th century, and since the 1890s, Bergen has been the focal point of Norwegian seismology. Initially, earthquake information was collected through questionnaires and other written reports of how people had experienced the earthquake effects. This information was utilized to understand the seismicity and is still of value today for extending the earthquake history back in time. Norway’s first seismograph was installed in Bergen in 1905. Expansion of the monitoring network started in the 1950s and was then largely driven by a need for monitoring nuclear explosions and later for monitoring seismicity in connection with the development of petroleum exploration from the Norwegian continental shelf. Today the Norwegian National Seismic Network consists of 43 state-of-the-art seismic stations distributed throughout the Norwegian mainland and the Arctic islands. The data is analyzed to develop earthquake bulletins and contribute to our understanding of Norwegian seismicity and seismic hazard, crustal structure, and the potential for cascading geohazards. The data also form the basis for mandatory risk evaluations in connection with construction projects. Seismologists from UiB are continuously available to authorities, media and the public to answer questions related to earthquakes in Norway and abroad. While developing and maintaining the seismic network, UiB has been the main responsible in Norway for providing education in seismology to a large number of Norwegian and international students. International cooperation in research, education and software development has been a priority since the early development of the network. Today, the seismology group at UiB is in a good position to further develop the seismic network and data analysis while contributing with high quality education and research to the national and international communities.

I 2021 feiret Universitetet i Bergen (UiB) 75-års jubileum. Det vitenskapelige miljøet i Bergen går lengre tilbake i tid, og det var intens forskningsaktivitet blant annet ved Bergen Museum allerede sent på 1800-tallet. Et viktig fagmiljø på den tiden var det geologiske miljøet med Carl Fredrik Kolderup i spissen. Rundt hundreårsskiftet var C.F. Kolderup sentral i etableringen av et fagmiljø med fokus på jordskjelv-seismologi, et fagmiljø som er aktivt og internasjonalt anerkjent den dag i dag. I anledning jubileet til UiB ønsker vi her å gi en gjennomgang av hvordan seismologimiljøet i Bergen har utviklet seg siden etableringen på slutten av 1890-tallet og hvor vi står i dag.