Projects

In addition to our core tasks, the group is currently involved in the following projects:

SeisComP3

The Seismic Network is transitioning to the new SeisComP3 software system. SeisComP3 is a comprehensive software which includes waveform acquisition (SeedLink), automated earthquake detection and source location and quantification, manual event relocation; event alerting; and waveform archiving and dissemination (ArcLink). SeisComP3 is based on a coherent software base and a QuakeMl compliant database structure. SeisComP3 is a development of GFZ and gempa, and was conceived to rapidly detect and quantify large potentially tsunamigenic events in Indonesia (Hanka et al., 2010). 

The SED Seismic Network is active in testing the software, and extending its capability so that is optimally tuned for the needs of the Swiss Seismic Networks and the SED scientific community. For example, along with gempa, we have introduced NonLinLoc as a relocation module for both automatic and manual solutions, added a Baer-Kradolfer post-picker, included the SED Ml routine, and upgraded the manual event reviewer software.

The SeisComP3 package also includes ArcLink, a software product which allows open access to the SED waveform archives via both scripting and web requests. High-quality continuous and event waveforms from both the strong motion network as well as the digital broadband / short period network are easily available to the seismological and engineering community. We are currently completing the project to migrate all the triggered data and off-line data collections of the SED into suitable standard format to be added to this dataset. Data in our ArcLink is generally open but can also be restricted to SED use only.

Developed and extended within various European initiatives (NERIES, NERA, EPOS), the ArcLink software is used as the software platform for building the distributed European Integrated Data Archive (EIDA) for high quality broadband seismic waveforms. The SED Swiss Seismic Network has now joined EIDA which also includes INGV, Orfeus, IPGP and GFZ. A separate ArcLink web-platform has been setup to distribute EIDA data to the community from the SED.

Though all members of the Seismic Network team are involved in this transition, Tobias Diehl is responsible for optimising the general SeisComP3 configuration, and Carlo Cauzzi is responsible for the data dissemination tools. 

SSMNet Upgrade

The SSNMet renewal project began in late 2009 and if fully funded, will involve the replacement of the old triggered, low resolution network installed in the 1990's with 100 new accelerometer stations over the next 8 years. An initial 30 new stations are being installed in the first 4 years. The key goal of the new network is to densify instrumentation in the high risk regions of Switzerland, focusing on the major cities and towns. All new stations will include state-of-the-art, very broadband accelerometers with 24bit digitization and real time continuous communication of high sample rate data.

For the high quality modern stations, the Seismic Network do not distinguish between accelerometer and broadband data in terms of real-time acquisition, processing and continuous data archiving, and health monitoring (includes communications, SOH monitoring and waveform quality using PQLX). Nevertheless, strong motion data, due its high noise, is not typically used in basic triggering.

We strive to minimise site noise as far as possible - in order to maximise usage of the collected data, our site selection search reflects project objectives (to observe ground shaking in urban and industrialized zones), research interests (site amplifications), network interests (usage of the data in network products, including locations, magnitudes, ShakeMaps) and data quality constraints (level of cultural noise). Hence a critical component of selecting new stations is the deployment of a broadband test station at each potential new site, with site quality analysis including using PQLX for noise analysis, and comparing observed data with both worldwide and local noise models.

All SSNMet renewal stations will be free-field stations. As part of the project, Elab also developed a standard housing solution which will be used for all new permanent Swiss seismic installations outside of natural vaults. These new concrete 'pots' reflect current state of the art station housing concepts included in recent Japanese and Italian strong motion networks as well as the US Array design. The vaults minimise the effects of anthropic and electrical noise and are notably ideal for a systematic relocation for new stations some few meters away from existing old SSMNet sites located inside transformer houses. The possible soil-structure interaction effects induced by the concrete vault and its foundation anchored to the ground via steel bars are negligible at most strong motion sites, except those located on very soft soils.

The SED project management team is led by the Engineering Seismology group. From the Seismic Network side, John Clinton and Carlo Cauzzi participate in the project, and Carlo Cauzzi is responsible for ensuring availability and dissemination of continuous and event data (see ArcLink), event based strong motion waveform parameterisation, development of strong motion products, and leads research initiatives dealing with the strong motion datasets.

NERA

The EC-funded Project NERA (Network of European Research Infrastructures for Earthquake Risk Assessment and Mitigation) started in November 2010. The main objectives of the research projects are:

1. integrate the key research infrastructures in Europe to monitor, assess and prevent earthquake hazards;
2. cover analytical vulnerability assessment tools and mobile facilities for site characterization of constructions;
3. develop instruments, hazard and risk assessment, data processing and data dissemination;
4. support the reduction of vulnerability of European citizens and constructions to earthquakes;
5. foster international collaboration activities and further integration of the research field.

The Seismic Network group is actively involved in several work packages mainly dealing with data acquisition, processing and dissemination. We participate in NA2 (Seismic Networks), NA3 (Acceleration Networks), NA4 (Rapid Response Networks) and JRA2 (Real-time seismology).

For NA3, in cooperation with gempa, we are designing a set of tools for near real-time strong motion event data parametrisation in SeisCompP3, which will also be used in SED ShakeMaps

For JRA2, in collaboration with the SED Real-time seismology group, we develop a SeisComp3 module for the Virtual Seismologist Early Warning System.

EPOS

Started in November 2010, the EC-funded EPOS Project (European Plate Observing System) is aimed at implementing a cyber-platform to realize:

1. A comprehensive geographical distributed observational infrastructure consisting of existing seismic and geodetic (presently GPS, Galileo) permanent national monitoring networks on a European scale. 
2. Dedicated observatories for multidisciplinary local data acquisition (volcanoes, in-situ fault-zone monitoring experiments, geothermal and deep drilling experiments, including the application of geophysics to Earth’s surface dynamics and environmental changes). 
3. A network of experimental laboratories creating a single distributed research infrastructure for rock and mineral properties and analogue tectonic modelling.
4. Facilities for data repositories as well as for integration, analysis, visualisation, archiving and mining of various solid Earth datasets, including geophysical, geological, and geochemical observations. 
5. Facilities for distributed storage and computing resources for high performance computing and collaborative large-scale modelling.

John Clinton leads SED contributions to WP6 (technical work necessary for empowering the integration of the research infrastructures and the implementation of the e-infrastructure components), as well as co-ordinating the ETH contribution to EPOS.

COGEAR

COGEAR (Coupled seismogenic geohazards in alpine regions) is a national interdisciplinary natural hazards project investigating the hazard chain induced by earthquakes. The Seismic Network contribution in the project mainly deals with the observational efforts in the Wallis, from strong motion and broadband site selection to data collection, archival and dissemination. A quick overview of the geographical distribution of the stations in the Wallis area is given in the following picture.

GLISN

The GLISN (Greenland Ice Sheet Monitoring Network) project is establishing a real-time sensor array of 25 stations to enhance and upgrade the performance of the scarce existing Greenland seismic infrastructure for detecting, locating, and characterizing glacial earthquakes and other cryo-seismic phenomena, and contribute to our understanding of Ice Sheet dynamics. All data collected is open to the community in realtime or archived.

The Seismic Network, through funding from ETH R'Equip, are responsible for installing and maintaining 3 stations in the northwest of the country. The last of these stations are completed in summer 2010. Data can be retrieved from the SED EIDA or ArcLink websites, the Swiss stations are ILULI, KULLO and NUUG (Network Code is DK, for Denmark)

John Clinton, in collaboration with Marco Olivieri from INGV Bologna and Fabian Walter from the SED, continues to investigate the seismic signals produced by massive calving events occurring within 100km at many of the GLISN stations located on the periphery of the Icesheet.

HighRate GNSS for Seismology

The SED is collaborating with the Prof. Rothacher from the ETH Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry in a project to understand how extreme high-rate GNSS signals, up to 100 Hz, can be used in seismology. A PhD student, Youbing Zhang, will work on the project from the SED, jointly advised by John Clinton and Luis Dalguer from the Computational Seismology group.

SUIHAZ-2011

SUIHAZ‐2011 will deliver an update of probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Switzerland using the latest methodologies and available data. SUIHAZ-­2011 will build upon results of projects such PEGASOS, PRP and the last assessment of the seismic hazard in Switzerland. The project will use standardized methodologies to ensure reproducible and testable results in all steps of the hazard assessment and implement the model within a sustainable computational infrastructure. In particular, the project will focus on including engineering requirements for the output of hazard models, the harmonization of hazard results with EU-scale and site‐specific components and serve as a reference for future updates in Swiss building codes. The Seimic Network group is working in close cooperation with the Engineering Seimology group on topics related to broadening the options for site effects, from amplification in alluvium filled basins to amplification/deamplification effects due to topography.

AlpArray

A new project to temporarily instrument the greater Alpine region with high quality, broadband network is emerging, to be coordinated by the SED. György Hetényi will lead the SED efforts in the initiative, building the scientific rationale, the regional scientific and monitoring community, and developing the funding to make the project a reality.