Nordic Format

Type 1 Line - Main Header

This header contains most important information of the event such as time and location.

Columns Format Description Comments
1   Free  
2-5 I4 Year Origin time (GTM)
6   Free  
7-8 I2 Month  
9-10 I2 Day of the month  
11   Free  
12-13 I2 Hour  
14-15 I2 Minutes  
16   Free  
17-20 F4.1 Seconds  
21 A1 Location model or quality indicator Any character
22 A1 Distance indicator L = Local, R = Regional, D = Distant
23 A1 Event ID
  • ‘ ‘= seismic event, unspecified event
  • * = Earthquake, with detailed analysis
  • Q = Earthquake, confirmed by analyst
  • E = Explosion, confirmed or announced
  • P = Probable exlosion
  • I = Induced(rock burst, collapse, etc)
  • V = Volcanic event
  • X = Landslide
24-30 F7.3 Epicenter latitude (+N)  
31-38 F8.3 Epicenter longitude (+E)  
39-43 F5.1 Depth (km)  
44 A1 Depth control or quality F = Fixed depth, S = Starting value, D,G,N,*,? as used by USG
45 A1 Locating Indicator F = Fixed depth, S = Starting value
46-48 A3 Epicenter reporting agency
  • APA = Kola Science Centre
  • BER = Ins. Solid Earth Physics, Bergen
  • DNK = Geological Survey of Dnk&Greenland
  • EST = Geological Survey of Estonia
  • HEL = Inst. Seismology, Univ. Helsinki
  • NAO = NTNF/NORSAR, Norway
  • UPP = Seismological Dpt- Univ Uppsala
  • USG = U.S. Geological Survey, USA
  • BSG = British Geological Survey, UK
49-51 I3 Number of stations used  
52-55 F4.1 RMS of time residuals (s)  
56   Free  
57-59 F3.1 Magnitude no. 1  
60 A1 Type of Magnitude
  • L = Richter’s local magnitude (ML)
  • C = Coda duration magnitude (Mc)
  • B = Body wave magnitude (mb)
  • S = Surface wave magnitude (Ms)
  • W = Moment magnitude (MW)
61-63 A3 Magnitude reporting agency  
64   Free  
65-67 F3.1 Magnitude no. 2  
68 A1 Type of Magnitude  
69-71 A3 Magnitude reporting agency  
72   Free  
73-75 F3.1 Magnitude no. 3  
76 A1 Type of Magnitude  
77-79 A3 Magnitude reporting agency  
80 A1 Type of this line (“1”)  

Type 2 Line - Macroseismic Header

This line contains the macroseismic information of the event. The header is optional and only required with macroseismic events.

Columns Format Description Comments
1-5   Free  
6-20 A15 Any descriptive text  
21   Free  
22 A1 Diastromorphism code (PDE type)
  • F = Surface faulting
  • U = Uplift or subsidence
  • D = Faulting and uplift/subsidence
23 A1 Tsunami code (PDE type)
  • T = Tsunami generated
  • Q = Possible Tsunami
24 A1 Seiche code (PDE type)
  • S = Seiche
  • Q = Possible Seiche
25 A1 Cultural effects (PDE type)
  • C = Casualties reported
  • D = Damage reported
  • F = Earthquake was felt
  • H = Earthquake was heard
26 A1 Unusual effetcs (PDE type)
  • L = Liquefaction
  • G = Geysir/fumerol
  • S = Landslide/avalanches
  • B = Sand blows
  • C = Cracking in the ground
  • V = Visual phenomena
  • O = Olfactory phenomena
  • M = More than one of the above observed
27   Free  
28-29 I2 Maximum observed intensity  
30 A1 Maximum intensity qualifier (+/-) indicating more precisely the intensity
31-32 A2 Intensity Scale(ISC scale)
  • MM = Modified Mercalli
  • RF = Rossi Forel
  • CS = Mercalli - Cancani - Seberg
  • SK = Medevev - Spoheur - Karnik
33   Free  
34-39 F6.2 Macroseismic latitude  
40   Free  
41-47 F7.2 Macroseismic longitude  
48   Free  
49-51 F3.1 Macroseismic magnitude  
52 A1 Type of Magnitude
  • I = Mag based on maximum intensity
  • A = Mag based on felt area
  • R = Mag based on radius of felt area
  • * = Mag calculated with special form.
53-56 F4.2 Logarithm (base 10) of radius(km) of felt area  
57-61 F5.2 Logarithm (base 10) of area(km**2) number 1 where earthquake was felt exceeding a given intensity  
62-63 I2 Intensity bordering the area number 1  
64-68 F5.2 Logarithm (base 10) of area(km**2) number 2 where earthquake was felt exceeding a given intensity  
69-70 I2 Intensity bordering the area number 2  
71   Free  
72 A1 Quality rank of the report (A, B, C, D)
73-75 A3 Reporting agency  
76-79   Free  
80 A1 Type of this line(“2”)  

Type 3 Line - Comment Header

This header contains a comment on the event and it is optional in many cases.

Columns Format Description Comments
1   Free  
2-79 A15 Text  
80 A1 Type of this line(“3”)  

Type 5 line - Error Header

This header contains error estimates of the previous line in the same format as the preceding this header. The header is optional.

Columns Format Description Comments
1   Free  
2-79 Error estimates in same format as previous line, normally type 1 line  
80 A1 Type of this line(“5”)  

Type 6 line - Waveform Header

This header contains the format and name of the waveform file associated with this event. The header is optional.

Columns Format Description Comments
1   Free  
2-79 A Dataformat and name of the waveform file associated with this event  
80 A1 Type of this line(“5”)  

Type 7 line - Help Header

This line describes the phase data format for greater readability. This line is optional and always the same:

" STAT SP IPHASW D HRMM SECON CODA AMPLIT PERI AZIMU VELO SNR AR TRES W  DIS CAZ7"

Type ‘ ‘ line - Phase Arrival Data

This line contains information about a single observation from a station. There are usually a lot of these lines and they make up the observation that can be read from the main header.

Columns Format Description Comments
1   Free  
2-5 A4 Station code Blank = end of readings
6   Free  
7 A1 Instrument type S = SP, B = BB, L = LP
8 A1 Component Z, N, E
9   Free  
10 A1 Quality indicator I, E, etc.
11-14 A4 Phase type (PG,SG,PN,etc.)
Codes used by:
  • BER: AML, AMS, AMB for ML, Ms, mb
  • HEL: MSG, MSN, MPN for SG, SN, PN
15 I1 Weighting indicator(1-4) 0 = full weight as in Hypocenter program 9 = timing error for the station
16   Free  
17 A1 First motion C/D = clear compression/dilatation +/- = unclear compression/dilatation
18 A1 Time info Blank = same day as in type 1 line + = next day, - = previous day
19-20 I2 Hour Phase onset time or time of maximum amplitude measurement (GTM)
21-22 I2 Minutes
23   Free
24-28 F5.2 Seconds
29   Free  
30-33 I4 Signal duration (s) From phase onset to noise
34   Free  
35-40 F6.1 Maximum amplitude (nm) Zero to peak ground motion amplitude
41   Free  
42-45 F4.2 Period of maximum amplitude (s)  
46   Free  
47-51 F5.1 Back azimuth (deg)  
52   Free  
53-56 F4.1 Apparent velocity (km/s)  
57-60 F4.1 Signal-to-noise ratio  
61-63 I3 Azimuth residual (deg) Observed minus theoretical
64-68 F5.1 Travel time residual (s) Observed minus theoretical
69-70 I2 Actual weight user for location  
71-75 I5 Epicentral distance (km)  
76   Free  
77-79 I3 Epicenter-to-station azimuth (deg)  
80 A1 Type of this line (” “)  

Example Nordic File

Here is a example for a nordic file:

2013 0103 0613 04.3 LE 63.635  22.913  0.0F HEL 15 0.3 1.6LHEL 1.4LUPP        1
GAP= 80         0.1     0.391   0.477                  0.0                    5
FULLY AUTOMATIC, EVENT TYPE & LOCATION & MAGNITUDE CHECKED (NIH)              3
CSS:2013003061203.WFDISC  (DET3C)                                             6
MINING AREA & TIME WINDOW: PEDERSORE  3KM                                     3
2013 0103 0613  4.0 LE 63.650  22.942  0.0FFHEL 11 0.4 1.6LHEL                1
2013 0103 0613  5.2 LP 63.680  22.728  0.1F UPP  7 0.3 1.4LUPP                1
FINLAND                                                                       3
STAT SP IPHASW D HRMM SECON CODA AMPLIT PERI AZIMU VELO SNR AR TRES W  DIS CAZ7
VAF  BZ EP       0613 15.30                    7.0              0.210   67 191
VAF  BZ ES       0613 23.10                                     0.4 4
UMAU BZ EP       0613 22.64                                    -0.010  114 285
BURU BZ EPB      0613 25.38                  141.0             -0.1 9  130 325
BURU BZ ES       0613 39.82                                    -0.3 4
ODEU BZ EP       0613 26.31                                    -0.2 9  138 310
SVAU BZ EP       0613 34.71                                     0.3 8  189 302
KEF  BZ EPN      0613 35.36                                     0.0 4  192 148
KEF  BZ ESN      0613 58.10                                    -0.0 8
SUF  BZ EPG      0613 35.20                                    -0.1 8  193 121
SUF  BZ  MSG     0613 55.58         3.6 0.20
SUF  BZ ESN      0613 58.00                                    -0.3 9
OUL  BZ EPG      0613 39.06                  224.0             -0.2 4  217  40
OUL  BZ ESG      0614 04.50                                     0.3 5
SJUU BZ EP       0613 38.75                                     0.1 8  218 344
LILU BZ EP       0613 41.40                                     0.5 8  236 323
KAF  BZ EPB      0613 42.50                  314.0              0.2 4  243 133
KAF  BZ  MSG     0614  8.53         2.7 0.20
KAF  BZ ESG      0614 11.10                                    -0.2 0
KALU BZ EPB      0613 43.50                                     0.2 6  249   5
KALU BZ ESB      0614 12.34                                     0.4 4
HEMU BZ EPB      0613 45.78                   61.0             -0.4 8  268 249
HEMU BZ ESG      0614 18.14                                    -0.3 4
TOF  BZ EPB      0613 48.10                                     0.0 3  281  13
TOF  BZ  MSG     0614 18.11         2.2 0.20
TOF  BZ ESB      0614 20.10                                    -0.1 0
ERTU BZ ES       0614 27.84                                     0.4 0  328 354