Digital Processing of Array Seismic Recordings

Abstract

This technical letter contains a brief review of the operations which are involved in digital processing of array seismic recordings by the methods of velocity filtering, summation, cross-multiplication and integration, and by combinations of these operations (the “UK Method” and multiple correlation).

Examples are presented of analyses by the several techniques on array recordings which were obtained by the U.S. Geological Survey during chemical and nuclear explosions in the western United States.

Seismograms are synthesized using actual noise and P_n-signal recordings, such that the signal-to-noise ratio, onset time and velocity of the signal are predetermined for the synthetic record. These records are then analyzed by summation, cross-multiplication, multiple correlation and the UK technique, and the results are compared.

For all of the examples presented, analysis by the non-linear techniques of multiple correlation and cross-multiplication of the traces on an array recording are preferred to analyses by the linear operations involved in summation and the UK Method.

First posted July 18, 2012