TY - JOUR A1 - Büyükakpınar, Pınar A1 - Aktar, Mustafa A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria A1 - Köseoğlu, Ayşegül T1 - Orientations of broadband stations of the KOERI seismic network (Turkey) from two independent methods BT - P- and Rayleigh-wave polarization JF - Seismological research letters / Seismological Society of America N2 - The correct orientation of seismic sensors is critical for studies such as full moment tensor inversion, receiver function analysis, and shear-wave splitting. Therefore, the orientation of horizontal components needs to be checked and verified systematically. This study relies on two different waveform-based approaches, to assess the sensor orientations of the broadband network of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute (KOERI). The network is an important backbone for seismological research in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and provides a comprehensive seismic data set for the North Anatolian fault. In recent years, this region became a worldwide field laboratory for continental transform faults. A systematic survey of the sensor orientations of the entire network, as presented here, facilitates related seismic studies. We apply two independent orientation tests, based on the polarization of P waves and Rayleigh waves to 123 broadband seismic stations, covering a period of 15 yr (2004-2018). For 114 stations, we obtain stable results with both methods. Approximately, 80% of the results agree with each other within 10 degrees. Both methods indicate that about 40% of the stations are misoriented by more than 10 degrees. Among these, 20 stations are misoriented by more than 20 degrees. We observe temporal changes of sensor orientation that coincide with maintenance work or instrument replacement. We provide time-dependent sensor misorientation correction values for the KOERI network in the supplemental material. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1785/0220200362 SN - 0895-0695 SN - 1938-2057 VL - 92 IS - 3 SP - 1512 EP - 1521 PB - Seismological Society of America CY - Boulder, Colo. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Niemz, Peter A1 - Dahm, Torsten A1 - Milkereit, Claus A1 - Cesca, Simone A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria A1 - Zang, Arno T1 - Insights into hydraulic fracture growth gained from a joint analysis of seismometer-derived tilt signals and scoustic emissions JF - Journal of geophysical research : Solid earth N2 - Hydraulic fracturing is performed to enhance rock permeability, for example, in the frame of geothermal energy production or shale gas exploitation, and can potentially trigger induced seismicity. The tracking of increased permeabilities and the fracturing extent is often based on the microseismic event distribution within the stimulated rock volume, but it is debated whether the microseismic activity adequately depicts the fracture formation. We are able to record tilt signals that appear as long-period transients (<180 s) on two broadband seismometers installed close (17-72 m) to newly formed, meter-scale hydraulic fractures. With this observation, we can overcome the limitations of the microseismic monitoring alone and verify the fracture mapping. Our analysis for the first time combines a catalog of previously analyzed acoustic emissions ([AEs] durations of 20 ms), indirectly mapping the fractures, with unique tilt signals, that provide independent, direct insights into the deformation of the rock. The analysis allows to identify different phases of the fracturing process including the (re)opening, growth, and aftergrowth of fractures. Further, it helps to differentiate between the formation of complex fracture networks and single macrofractures, and it validates the AE fracture mapping. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the fracturing processes, which may help to reduce fluid-injection-induced seismicity and validate efficient fracture formation.
Plain Language Summary Hydraulic fracturing (HF) describes the opening of fractures in rocks by injecting fluids under high pressure. The new fractures not only can facilitate the extraction of shale gas but can also be used to heat up water in the subsurface in enhanced geothermal systems, a corner stone of renewable energy production. The fracture formation is inherently accompanied by small, nonfelt earthquakes (microseismic events). Occasionally, larger events felt by the population can be induced by the subsurface operations. Avoiding such events is important for the acceptance of HF operations and requires a detailed knowledge about the fracture formation. We jointly analyze two very different data sets recorded during mine-scale HF experiments: (a) the tilting of the ground caused by the opening of the fractures, as recorded by broadband seismometers-usually deployed for earthquake monitoring-installed close to the experiments and (b) a catalog of acoustic emissions, seismic signals of few milliseconds emitted by tiny cracks around the forming hydraulic fracture. The novel joint analysis allows to characterize the fracturing processes in greater detail, contributing to the understanding of the physical processes, which may help to understand fluid-injection-induced seismicity and validate the formation of hydraulic fractures. KW - hydraulic fracturing KW - fracture growth KW - tilt KW - acoustic emissions KW - injections KW - broadband seismometer Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JB023057 SN - 2169-9313 SN - 2169-9356 VL - 126 IS - 12 PB - American Geophysical Union CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Woith, Heiko A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria A1 - Hainzl, Sebastian A1 - Dahm, Torsten T1 - Review: Can Animals Predict Earthquakes? JF - Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America N2 - In public perception, abnormal animal behavior is widely assumed to be a potential earthquake precursor, in strong contrast to the viewpoint in natural sciences. Proponents of earthquake prediction via animals claim that animals feel and react abnormally to small changes in environmental and physico-chemical parameters related to the earthquake preparation process. In seismology, however, observational evidence for changes of physical parameters before earthquakes is very weak. In this study, we reviewed 180 publications regarding abnormal animal behavior before earthquakes and analyze and discuss them with respect to (1) magnitude-distance relations, (2) foreshock activity, and (3) the quality and length of the published observations. More than 700 records of claimed animal precursors related to 160 earthquakes are reviewed with unusual behavior of more than 130 species. The precursor time ranges from months to seconds prior to the earthquakes, and the distances from a few to hundreds of kilometers. However, only 14 time series were published, whereas all other records are single observations. The time series are often short (the longest is 1 yr), or only small excerpts of the full data set are shown. The probability density of foreshocks and the occurrence of animal precursors are strikingly similar, suggesting that at least parts of the reported animal precursors are in fact related to foreshocks. Another major difficulty for a systematic and statistical analysis is the high diversity of data, which are often only anecdotal and retrospective. The study clearly demonstrates strong weaknesses or even deficits in many of the published reports on possible abnormal animal behavior. To improve the research on precursors, we suggest a scheme of yes and no questions to be assessed to ensure the quality of such claims. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170313 SN - 0037-1106 SN - 1943-3573 VL - 108 IS - 3A SP - 1031 EP - 1045 PB - Seismological Society of America CY - Albany ER - TY - THES A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria T1 - Source studies of small earthquakes in the AlpArray: CMT inversion, seismo-tectonic analysis and methodological developments T1 - Herdmechanismen von kleinen Erdbeben im AlpArray: CMT-Inversion, seismotektonische Analyse und methodische Entwicklungen N2 - Centroid moment tensor inversion can provide insight into ongoing tectonic processes and active faults. In the Alpine mountains (central Europe), challenges result from low signal-to-noise ratios of earthquakes with small to moderate magnitudes and complex wave propagation effects through the heterogeneous crustal structure of the mountain belt. In this thesis, I make use of the temporary installation of the dense AlpArray seismic network (AASN) to establish a work flow to study seismic source processes and enhance the knowledge of the Alpine seismicity. The cumulative thesis comprises four publications on the topics of large seismic networks, seismic source processes in the Alps, their link to tectonics and stress field, and the inclusion of small magnitude earthquakes into studies of active faults. Dealing with hundreds of stations of the dense AASN requires the automated assessment of data and metadata quality. I developed the open source toolbox AutoStatsQ to perform an automated data quality control. Its first application to the AlpArray seismic network has revealed significant errors of amplitude gains and sensor orientations. A second application of the orientation test to the Turkish KOERI network, based on Rayleigh wave polarization, further illustrated the potential in comparison to a P wave polarization method. Taking advantage of the gain and orientation results of the AASN, I tested different inversion settings and input data types to approach the specific challenges of centroid moment tensor (CMT) inversions in the Alps. A comparative study was carried out to define the best fitting procedures. The application to 4 years of seismicity in the Alps (2016-2019) substantially enhanced the amount of moment tensor solutions in the region. We provide a list of moment tensors solutions down to magnitude Mw 3.1. Spatial patterns of typical focal mechanisms were analyzed in the seismotectonic context, by comparing them to long-term seismicity, historical earthquakes and observations of strain rates. Additionally, we use our MT solutions to investigate stress regimes and orientations along the Alpine chain. Finally, I addressed the challenge of including smaller magnitude events into the study of active faults and source processes. The open-source toolbox Clusty was developed for the clustering of earthquakes based on waveforms recorded across a network of seismic stations. The similarity of waveforms reflects both, the location and the similarity of source mechanisms. Therefore the clustering bears the opportunity to identify earthquakes of similar faulting styles, even when centroid moment tensor inversion is not possible due to low signal-to-noise ratios of surface waves or oversimplified velocity models. The toolbox is described through an application to the Zakynthos 2018 aftershock sequence and I subsequently discuss its potential application to weak earthquakes (Mw<3.1) in the Alps. N2 - Die Erforschung der Bruchmechanismen von Erdbeben in den Alpen bietet Einblicke in aktuelle tektonische Prozesse. Typischerweise niedrige bis mittlere Erdbebenmagnituden und die heterogene Krustenstruktur des alpinischen Gebirges erschweren die zu dieser Erforschung durchgeführten Momententensorinversionen. In dieser Dissertation stelle ich einen Arbeitsablauf vor, mit dem ich die Bruchprozesse von Erdbeben zwischen 2016 und 2019 studiert habe. Datengrundlage bildet dabei das temporäre AlpArray Netzwerk (AASN - AlpArray seismic network). Die kumulative Dissertation besteht aus vier Publikationen, die sich einerseits mit den Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen von großen seismischen Netzwerken und andererseits mit der Erforschung der Bruchprozesse beschäftigen. Dabei wird sowohl auf die Verbindung von den Herdmechanismen und anderen Informationen wie Seismizität, Tektonik und Spannungsfeld eingegangen, als auch untersucht, wie kleinere Erdbeben unser Wissen erweitern können. Die Nutzung der großen Anzahl von Sensoren des AASN erfordert eine sorgfältige Kontrolle von Wellenformdaten und Stations-Metadaten. Um diese aufwändige Aufgabe weitmöglichst zu automatisieren, habe ich die open source toolbox AutoStatsQ entwickelt. Die Verwendung von AutoStatsQ zur Überprüfung des AASN zeigte mehrere signifikante Fehler in den Wellenform-Amplituden und in den Orientierungen der Horizontalkomponenten der Sensoren. Bei einer zweiten Anwendung des Orientierungstests von AutoStatsQ auf das türkische KOERI Netzwerk zeigten sich ebenfalls zahlreiche fehlerhaft orientierte Sensoren. Ein Vergleich mit einer zweiten Methode, basierend auf P-Wellen anstatt von Rayleigh-Wellen, zeigt weitestgehend übereinstimmende Ergebnisse. Basierend auf der Datenqualitätsstudie des AASN werden in der dritten Publikation systematisch verschiedene Einstellungen (z.B. Frequenzbänder, Datentypen, Azimuthale Abdeckung) für Momententensorinversionen getestet und vergleichen. Anschließend wurden Bruchprozesse von Erdbeben zwischen 2016 und 2019 mit Magnituden ab Mw 3.1 analysiert. Zur Interpretation der Ergebnisse im seismotektonischen Zusammenhang werden zusätzlich ältere Momententensorlösungen, Seismizitätskataloge ab 1970, historische Erdbeben und Deformation basierend auf Satellitendaten betrachtet. Aufgrund des Signal-Rausch-Verhältnisses von Oberflächenwellen müssten im Falle von Erdbeben mit kleineren Magnituden (Mw<3.1) höherfrequentere Raumwellen genutzt werden. Je höher der Frequenzbereich, desto größer sind die Einflüsse von Heterogenitäten entlang der Laufwege, sodass einfache 1-D Geschwindigkeitsmodelle nicht ausreichen. Um trotzdem kleinere Erdbeben in die Studien von aktiven Störungen einzubeziehen, haben wir die open-source toolbox Clusty entwickelt. Diese nutzt die Ähnlichkeit von Wellenformen in einem seismischen Netzwerk, um Erdbeben zu gruppieren. Die Ähnlichkeit von Wellenformen zweier Erdbeben über ein Netzwerk resultiert dabei sowohl aus der Ähnlichkeit der Herdmechanismen als auch aus der Lokation der Beben. Der Ketten-ähnliche clustering Ansatz ermöglicht es dabei, graduelle Wellenform-Unterschiede aufgrund von Lokationsänderungen entlang einer Störungszone zu berücksichtigen. Das clustering bietet folglich die Möglichkeit, Beben mit ähnlichen Herdmechanismen zu identifizieren und somit Störungszonen nachzuzeichnen. Die toolbox wird in der vierten Publikation anhand einer Anwendung auf die Nachbebensequenz des Zakynthos Bebens von 2018 beschrieben. Anschließend daran diskutiere ich, wie eine Anwendung auf die Alpen unsere Studien der Bruchprozesse und aktiven Störungen erweitern kann. KW - Moment tensor inversion KW - AlpArray KW - Alps KW - Earthquakes KW - Erdbeben KW - Momententensorinversion KW - Alpen KW - AlpArray Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-525635 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kriegerowski, Marius A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria A1 - Vasyura-Bathke, Hannes A1 - Ohrnberger, Matthias T1 - A Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Localization of Clustered Earthquakes Based on Multistation Full Waveforms JF - Seismological research letters N2 - Earthquake localization is both a necessity within the field of seismology, and a prerequisite for further analysis such as source studies and hazard assessment. Traditional localization methods often rely on manually picked phases. We present an alternative approach using deep learning that once trained can predict hypocenter locations efficiently. In seismology, neural networks have typically been trained with either single-station records or based on features that have been extracted previously from the waveforms. We use three-component full-waveform records of multiple stations directly. This means no information is lost during preprocessing and preparation of the data does not require expert knowledge. The first convolutional layer of our deep convolutional neural network (CNN) becomes sensitive to features that characterize the waveforms it is trained on. We show that this layer can therefore additionally be used as an event detector. As a test case, we trained our CNN using more than 2000 earthquake swarm events from West Bohemia, recorded by nine local three-component stations. The CNN successfully located 908 validation events with standard deviations of 56.4 m in east-west, 123.8 m in north-south, and 136.3 m in vertical direction compared to a double-difference relocated reference catalog. The detector is sensitive to events with magnitudes down to M-L = -0.8 with 3.5% false positive detections. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180320 SN - 0895-0695 SN - 1938-2057 VL - 90 IS - 2 SP - 510 EP - 516 PB - Seismological Society of America CY - Albany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria A1 - Cesca, Simone A1 - Kriegerowski, Marius T1 - Automated quality control for large seismic networks BT - implementation and application to the AlpArray seismic network JF - Seismological research letters N2 - As a consequence of the rapid growing worldwide seismic data set, a huge variety of automatized data-processing methods have been developed. To perform automatized waveform-based seismological studies aiming for magnitudes or source process inversion, it is crucial to identify network stations with erroneous transfer functions, gain factors, or component orientations. We developed a new tool dedicated to automated station quality control of dense seismic networks and arrays. The python-based AutoStatsQ toolbox uses the pyrocko seismic data-processing environment. The toolbox automatically downloads data and metadata for selected teleseismic events and performs different tests. As a result, relative gain factors, sensor orientation corrections, and reliable frequency bands are computed for all stations in a chosen time period. Relative gain factors are calculated for all stations and events in a time domain based on maximum P-phase amplitudes. A Rayleigh-wave polarization analysis is used to identify deviating sensor orientations. The power spectra of all stations in a given frequency range are compared with synthetic ones, accessing Global Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) solutions. Frequency ranges of coinciding synthetic and recorded power spectral densities (PSDs) may serve as guidelines for choosing band-pass filters for moment tensor (MT) inversion and help confirm the corner frequency of the instrument. The toolbox was applied to the permanent and temporary AlpArray networks as well as to the denser SWATH-D network, a total of over 750 stations. Stations with significantly deviating gain factors were identified, as well as stations with inverse polarity and misorientations of the horizontal components. The tool can be used to quickly access network quality and to omit or correct stations before MT inversion. Electronic Supplement: List of teleseismic events and tables of median, mean, and standard deviation of relative gain factors, and figures of relative gain factors of all event-station pairs, waveform example showing inverse polarity of horizontal components on ZS.D125, histograms of median, mean, and standard deviation of the correction angles, examples of synthetic and recorded frequency spectra of ZS.D046 and NI.VINO. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1785/0220180342 SN - 0895-0695 SN - 1938-2057 VL - 90 IS - 3 SP - 1177 EP - 1190 PB - Seismological Society of America CY - Albany ER - TY - THES A1 - Petersen, Gesa Maria T1 - Source array and receiver array analysis of Vogtland/ West Bohemia earthquake clusters T1 - Untersuchung von Erdbebenclustern im Vogtland/ Westböhmen durch Quell- und Empfängerarrays N2 - Die Region Vogtland/ West Böhmen im Grenzgebiet zwischen Deutschland und Tschechien ist bekannt für ihre geologische Aktivität. Holozäner Vulkanismus, Gasaustritte an Mofetten und Quellen und wiederkehrende Erdbebenschwärme sind Ausdruck geodynamischer Prozesse im Untergrund. Während des Erdbebenschwarms 2008/2009 in Nový Kostel installierte die Universität Potsdam ein temporäres Array in Rohrbach, in einer Epizentraldistanz von etwa 10 km und mit einer Aperatur von etwa 0.75 km. 22 Erdbeben wurden für Quellarray- beam forming ausgewählt. Quellarrays sind örtliche Cluster von Erdbeben, die von einer Empfängerstation aufgezeichnet werden. Wegen der Reziprozität der Green’schen Funktionen können diese in ähnlicher Weise genutzt werden wie Empfängerarrays, bei denen mehrere Stationen ein einzelnes Beben aufzeichnen. Die Kreuzkorrelationskoeffizienten aller Beben des Quellarrays, aufgezeichnet an einer einzelnen Station, sind in der Regel höher als für einzelne Ereignisse, die an allen Stationen des Empfängerarrays aufgezeichnet wurden. Dies deutet hinsichtlich der aufgelösten Frequenzen auf einen heterogenen Untergrund unter den Array-Stationen und ein vergleichsweise homogenes Quellarray-Volumen hin. Beam forming wurde mit den horizontalen und vertikalen Spuren aller Quellarray-Beben, aufgezeichnet auf allen 11 Stationen des Empfängerarrays, durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse wurden im Hinblick auf Konversionen und reflektierte Phasen analysiert. Während die theoretische Richtung der direkten P-Welle im Falle der Quellarray-Aufzeichnungen gut übereinstimmt, wird eine Empfängerarray-Missweisung von 15° bis 25° beobachtet. Eine PS Phase, die der direkten P Phase folgt und eine mögliche SP Phase, die kurz vor der direkten S-Phase ankommt, wurden auf den summierten Spuren mehrerer Stationen interpretiert. Aus der Betrachtung der Laufzeiten resultiert eine Konversionstiefe von 0.6-0.9 km Tiefe. Ein zweites Quellarray, bestehend aus 12 tieferen Beben wurde zusätzlich analysiert, um eine nach ca. 0.85 s ausschließlich auf den Aufzeichnungen tieferer Beben auftretende Strukturphase zu deuten. Zusätzlich zum beam forming wurden zwei Lokalisierungsmethoden von Reflexionen und Konversionen für einfach reflektierte/konvertierte Phasen entwickelt und zur Auswertung verwendet. Während die erste, analytische Methode eine homogene Geschwindigkeit entlang des Laufwegs annimmt, wird in der zweiten Methode eine 3-D-Rastersuche ausgeführt, in der ein 1-D-Geschwindigkeitsmodell verwendet wird. Auf Grund der eindeutigen beam forming Ergebnisse und der hohen Ähnlichkeit der Wellenformen der Erdbeben, die für das Quellarray genutzt wurden, bieten Quellarrays bestehend aus Mikrobeben aus dem untersuchten Gebiet gute Möglichkeiten zur Untersuchung von Krustenstrukturen. N2 - The Vogtland, located at the border region between the Czech Republic and Germany, is known for Holocene volcanism, gas and fluid emissions as well as for reoccurring earthquake swarms, pointing towards a high geodynamic activity. During the earthquake swarm in 2008/2009, a temporary array was installed close to Rohrbach (Germany), at an epicentral distance of about 10 km from the Nový Kostel focal zone (aperture ~0.75 km). 22 events of the recorded swarm were selected to set up a source array. Source arrays are spatially clustered earthquakes, which can be used in a similar manner as receiver array recordings of single events (Green’s functions reciprocity). The application of array seismology techniques like beam forming requires similar waveforms and precisely known origin times and locations. The resemblance of waveforms was assured by visual selection of events and quantified with the calculation of cross-correlation coefficients. We observed that the different events recorded at a single station generally show greater resemblances than the recordings of one event at all stations of the receiver array. This indicates a heterogeneous subsurface beneath the receiver array and a comparably homogeneous source array volume with respect to the frequency-dependent resolution of both arrays. Beam forming was applied on the Z, N and E component recordings of the source array events at 11 stations, and the results were analysed with respect to converted or reflected crustal phases. While the theoretical back azimuth of the direct phases match the beam forming results in case of the source array analysis, in case of receiver array beam forming derivations of 15°-25° are observed. PS phases, closely following the direct P phase and presumably SP phases, arriving shortly before the direct S phase can be observed on several stations. Based on the time differences to the direct P and S phases we inferred a conversion depth of about 0.6-0.9 km. A second deeper source array was set up in order to interpret a structural phase arriving 0.85 s after the direct P phase on records of deeper events only. Additionally to the source array beam forming method an analytical method with a fixed medium velocity and a grid search method, both for determining conversion/ reflection locations of phases traveling off the direct line between source and receiver array, were developed and applied to other observed phases. In conclusion, we think that the distinct beam forming results along with the striking waveform resemblance reveal the opportunities of using source arrays consisting of small swarm events for the analysis of crustal structures. KW - seismology KW - Vogtland KW - West Bohemia KW - source array KW - beam forming KW - earthquake swarms KW - Seismologie KW - Vogtland KW - Westböhmen KW - Quellarray KW - Beamforming KW - Erdbebenschwärme KW - Schwarmbeben Y1 - 2017 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-406671 ER -