As a consequence, "force majeure" in areas prone to natural disaster requires a definition of the magnitude of the event for which "force majeure" could be considered as such in a contract. As an example, in a highly seismic area a technical definition of the amplitude of motion at the site could be established on the contract, based for example on probability of occurrence studies. This parameter or parameters can later be monitored at the construction site (with a commonly agreed procedure). An earthquake could be a small shaking or damaging event. The occurrence of an earthquake does not imply the occurrence of damage or disruption. For small and moderate events it is reasonable to establish requirements for the contract processes; for large events it is not always feasible or economical to do so. Concepts such as 'damaging earthquake' in "force majeure" clauses do not help to clarify disruption, especially in areas where there are no other reference structures or most structures are not seismically safe.