The Argentinean National Network of Seismic and Strong-Motion Stations

The history of seismic studies in Argentina dates back to the first decades of the last century and is based on historical material and archeological evidence. The first institution in the country devoted to geophysical aspects (mainly seismology) was the Astronomic Observatory of La Plata, created in 1882. But it was not until 1906 that this institution included seismic observations by installing the first seismological equipment, consisting of a three‐component Vicentini seismograph, in 1907.Between 1913 and 1925 two more mechanical seismographs were installed by the Astronomic Observatory of La Plata. This institution started publishing its first annual bulletin in 1922. In 1951, two electromagnetic‐type seismographs were installed at the Observatory, which increased significantly the registration of seismic events. One of the stations of this Observatory became part of the World Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSN) in 1962.In January 1944 a large earthquake ( M w 7.0; Alvarado and Beck, 2006) almost completely destroyed the city of San Juan, the capital of San Juan province, located in the west‐central part of Argentina, killing at least 5000 people. This earthquake was the trigger for seismological research and seismic observations in Argentina, especially in San Juan province.Following this earthquake in 1944, the Federal Government created the Consejo Nacional de Construcciones Antisismicas y de Reconstruccion de San Juan (CONCAR), an institution devoted to develop a new building code and to plan and carry out the reconstruction process of San Juan city. On 8 May 1972, the CONCAR was transformed into the National Institute for Seismic Prevention (INPRES).INPRES is a federal agency of the Argentine government depending on the Secretary of Public Services and is situated in the city of San Juan. Its main objective is to carry out the national policy for seismic prevention, operate the national network of seismic stations …