requiring the adaptation of probabilistic maps to design ground motions;
and (d) the generalization of design parameters to locations where there
is little seismic history. Maximum displacements, velocities, and, based
on the European Build- ing Code EC8, design ground acceleration maps
have thus been produced by ZivCic et al. for Slovenia, Marku§ic et al.
for Croatia, Bus et al. for Hungary, and Radulian et al. for Romania.
The last two contributions in the volume are dedicated to studies of
local site effects that could affect the microzonation of large urban
areas. Moldoveanu et al. employed a technique based on the modal
summation and finite dif- ferences to calculate the expected ground
motion in the capital city of Bucha- rest due to large
intermediate-depth Vrancea earthquakes. Their results outline that the
presence of alluvial sediments and the possible variation of event
scenario require the use of all three components of motion for a
reliable determination of the seismic input. The study of Marmureanu et
al., more limited in scope, offers a laboratory analysis of the
attenuation effects for sur- face layers. The authors confirm that
seismic attenuation in sedimentary layers is a function of the strain
levels induced by large earthquakes, and find that the quality factor is
nearly constant over a relatively wide frequency range, between 7 and
100 Hz.