Macroseismology in Finland from the 1730s to the 2000s : Part 2: From an obligation of the learned elite to citizen science

Abstract

The present article is the second part of a snapshot of macroseismology in Finland from the 1730s to the 2000s. In the 1730s, more numerous and informative earthquake reports began to appear. The article begins with an outline of the connection between academia and macroseismology. The main focus is on the dissemination of macroseismic questionnaires and the respondents. The standard practice in Finland is to conduct macroseismic surveys remotely. Postal services were widely used to disseminate questionnaires in the areas affected by earthquakes. The newspaper press has frequently been utilized in the surveys. Since the latter half of the 1800s, telephones and telegraphs made instant communication possible. Macroseismic field surveys have sometimes been conducted after important local earthquakes to interview eyewitnesses and to disseminate questionnaires on the spot. The group of earthquake reporters that stands out throughout the centuries is the clergy. Its leading position waned only in the 1900s. Finns became more literate, acquiring their writing skills during the 1800s. The occupational groups of the respondents became more versatile in the 1900s, reflecting the evolution of macroseismology into a genuine citizen science. Macroseismic reporting mirrors the development of society throughout the centuries. In particular, new technologies have an immediate effect on the surveys.

The present article is the second part of a snapshot of macroseismology in Finland from the 1730s to the 2000s. In the 1730s, more numerous and informative earthquake reports began to appear. The article begins with an outline of the connection between academia and macroseismology. The focus is on the dissemination of macroseismic questionnaires and their respondents. The standard practice in Finland is to conduct macroseismic surveys remotely. Postal services were widely used to disseminate questionnaires in the areas affected by earthquakes. The newspaper press has frequently been utilized in the surveys. Since the latter half of the 1800s, telephones and telegraphs made instant communication possible. Macroseismic field surveys have sometimes been conducted after important local earthquakes to interview eyewitnesses and to disseminate questionnaires on the spot. The group of earthquake reporters that stands out throughout the centuries is the clergy. Its leading position waned only in the 1900s. Finns became more literate, acquiring their writing skills during the 1800s. The occupational groups of the respondents became more versatile in the 1900s, reflecting the evolution of macroseismology into a genuine citizen science. Macroseismic reporting mirrors the development of society throughout the centuries. In particular, new technologies have an immediate effect on the surveys.