Albania has one of the highest seismic ratings in Europe (Figure 1).
The Albanian Seismological Services are undertaken by the Department of Seismology of the Institute of Geosciences, which operates within the Polytechnic University of Tirana. Part of this department is the Albanian Seismological Network (ASN), Albanian Strong Motion Network (ASMN), and the Geodynamics Network (GNSS). These networks are the only seismological infrastructure of the country dealing with the monitoring and the study of the seismic activity in Albania. The real-time informing of the public opinion as well as the competent governmental bodies, in case when damaging or strongly felt earthquakes occur in the country constitutes one of the major tasks of this department.

The ASN is presently composed of 13 stations (Figure 2) equipped with various digital instruments, while ASMN is composed of 34 stations (16 digitally upgraded SMA-1 accelerographs, 10 CMG-5TD systems and 8 CMG-5T sensors) distributed in various towns and soil ground conditions. A new, fully integrated digital seismograph system using the satellite communication (VSAT) is now under operation as part of our seismographic network. Seven satellite remote stations are installed on Saranda (SRN), Peshkopi (PHP), Korçë (KBN), Bajram Curri (BCI), Pukë (PUK), Tiranë (TIR) and Vlorë (VLO) and transmit continuous data in real time. The Libra satellite seismograph system includes a central VSAT Hub (Libra Nanometrics) running the NaqsServer acquisition software, and 7 Cygnus remote sites configured to acquire respectively the three-component broadband stations (Trillium 40T and CMG-40T) equipped with 24 bits digitizers (Trident). The Libra VSAT system has demonstrated reliability, efficiency, low cost of operation and is easy to be used.

The data of our VSAT station are exchanged in real time with the INGV in Rome and Thessaloniki University. Efforts are being made to accomplish real time data exchange with the MedNet (Mediterranean Seismological Network) as well as the seismological networks of Kosova, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia, etc. The SeisComP 3.0 (GEOFON, Potsdam) software package is now available for this purpose.

Our VSAT Network is member of the Federation of the Digital Seismological Networks(FDSN) and Incorporated Research Institutions of Seismology (IRIS). We contribute with our VSAT station data and in the same time we can utilize their digital archives.

The department of seismology is participating on the NATO SfP 983054 (BSHAP) project, financed by the “Science for Peace and Security” programme of  NATO. Our active participation during the entire process has contributed for the compilation of the seismic hazard assessment methodology,  unified earthquake catalogs compilation, seismotectonic zonation, etc. ( http://www.wbseismicmaps.org).

Figure 1. Earthquake epicenter distribution in Albania and surrounding area (510 B.C. 31/12/2008, MW≥4.0)


Figure 2. Albanian Seismological Network and the neighboring stations contributing on the real time data exchange.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
	The  collaborating  institution	The  collaboration programme
1	EMSC (European Mediterranean Seismological Center)	Member
2	ESC (European Seismological Commission)	Member
3	IASPEI (International Association of seismology and Physics of the earth’s Interior)	Member
4	IUGG (International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics)	Member
5	ORFEUS (Observations and research Facilities for European Seismology)	Contribution with data of the monitoring network
6	IRIS (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology)	Member
7	FDSN (Federation of Digital Seismological Networks)	Member
8	NEIC-USA (National Earthquakes information Center)	Contribution with data of the global monitoring network
9	CTBTO (Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization)	Member, NDC
10	INGV Rome (National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology)	Real time monitoring network data exchange
11	MedNet (Mediterranean Seismological Network)	Member
12	ISK (Seismological Institute of Kosovo)	Protocol of collaboration
13	MSO (Montenegrin Seismological Observatory)	Real-time monitoring network data exchange
14	MSO (Montenegrin Seismological Observatory)	Real-time monitoring network data exchange
15	University of Savoir, France	Collaboration in the framework of the GPS data exchange

Seismology Lab