Strong ground motion measuring and recording instruments play a major role in mitigation of seismic risk. The strong ground motion near the source of an earthquake describes the effects that endanger our built environment, and is also the most detailed clue concerning the source mechanism of the earthquake. The range of complexity that engulfs our understanding of the source parameters of a major earthquake (extent of the source mechanism, stress drop, wave propagation patterns) and how buildings and other works of construction respond to ground-transmitted dynamic effects may be overpowered by improved direct observations. Strong motion seismographs provide the information that enables scientists and engineers to