Open AccessMigration‐based location of seismicity recorded with an array installed in the main hole of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD)
Author(s) -
Rentsch S.,
Buske S.,
Gutjahr S.,
Kummerow J.,
Shapiro S. A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.2010.04638.x
Subject(s) - geology , seismology , borehole , induced seismicity , observatory , weighting , geodesy , remote sensing , acoustics , geotechnical engineering , astrophysics , physics
SUMMARY We present the principles of a recently developed event location procedure and its application to seismicity recorded in the main borehole of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). The basic idea of the location approach is the backpropagation of the recorded wavefield along rays using a Gaussian‐beam‐type weighting factor. In the case of a sufficient number of receivers, the intersection of these rays results in a distinct maximum at the corresponding hypocentre location. We have applied this technique to data recorded with an 80‐level three‐component (3C) receiver array in the SAFOD main hole and we have located a number of events in the vicinity of the fault system. A modification of the location algorithm also allowed the precise location of one of the so‐called target events, which are the subject of recent drilling activities as well as ongoing research at SAFOD. We summarize the principles of the location method and the performed processing steps, provide estimates of the uncertainties for the target event location and test the robustness of the location using six different 3‐D velocity models. Furthermore, we discuss the event locations in comparison with borehole logging data and coincident seismic reflection images and we also show identified events with highly correlated waveforms.