AbstractThis paper presents an empirical model for scaling Fourier amplitude spectra of ground acceleration during strong earthquake shaking in terms of the reported Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) and the simplified characteristics of the geologic environment at the recording station. This analysis shows that (i) for the intermediate and high‐frequency motions the spectral amplitudes approximately double for every level of the MMI; that (ii) the uncertainties associated with estimation of Fourier spectral amplitudes in terms of MMI are not greater than the uncertainties associated with similar estimation in terms of earthquake magnitude and epicentral distance; that (iii) the high frequency spectral amplitudes tend to be greater on basement rock sites relative to alluvium sites, with this trend being reversed for the low‐frequency spectral amplitudes; and that (iv) the spectral amplitudes of very high‐frequency vertical shaking are equal to or higher than the corresponding spectral amplitudes for horizontal sh