The Greek Earthquake Impact Database (GEIDB): 1800-2020

The historical earthquake record in Greece is quite rich and goes back to the 5th century BCE. Hundreds of earthquakes caused a variety of direct and indirect effects on human communities and on their properties as well as on the natural environment. The term direct impact is meant to describe effects caused by the ground shaking itself. Indirect impact includes economic, social, and psychological effects as well as diseases and epidemics. Direct earthquake effects on human communities are extended to the built environment and to the population. The effects on buildings may vary from slight to heavy damage and to partial or total collapse. Physical suffering, such as fatalities, injuries, and rendering homeless, is the most common direct earthquake effect on the population. The Greek Earthquake Impact Database (GEIDB) is the result of an effort to compile for the first time data regarding the direct impact of Greek earthquakes that occurred from 1800 CE up to 2020. Data covering a wide range of impacts, regardless of the type and age of buildings, have been compiled and inserted in the GEIDB. Data for fatalities and injuries are available for plenty of earthquakes in Greece that occurred in the reference period and have also been included in the GEIDB. The majority of the earthquakes that affected the built environment and the population on the territory of today's Greece had their epicenters on this territory as well. Very few strong earthquakes that occurred close in neighboring countries also caused some impact in Greece and have been inserted in the GEIDB. However, GEIDB does not contain data about the impact caused in neighboring countries by Greek earthquakes.Each entry in GEIDB includes (i) the respective earthquake focal parameters, (ii) the impact on the built environment in terms of numbers of unrepairable and repairable buildings as well as the impact on the population in terms of numbers of fatalities and injuries, (iii) assignment of the maximum macroseismic intensity, and (iv) a detailed reference list for the sources utilized to retrieve data. The GEIDB also provides information on the occurrence of tsunamis but without details. The reason is that tsunami waves cause their own impact and, therefore, a separate Greek Tsunami Impact Database (GTIDB) has already been organized (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10199521) Prospects for future improvements of the GEIDB include its extension before 1800 CE as well as the addition of earthquake effects on the natural environment.