Efficient wave type fingerprinting and filtering by six-component polarization analysis


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Date

2023-07

Publication Type

Journal Article

ETH Bibliography

yes

Citations

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Data

Abstract

We present a technique to automatically classify the wave type of seismic phases that are recorded on a single six-component recording station (measuring both three components of translational and rotational ground motion) at the Earth's surface. We make use of the fact that each wave type leaves a unique 'fingerprint' in the six-component motion of the sensor (i.e. the motion is unique for each wave type). This fingerprint can be extracted by performing an eigenanalysis of the data covariance matrix, similar to conventional three-component polarization analysis. To assign a wave type to the fingerprint extracted from the data, we compare it to analytically derived six-component polarization models that are valid for pure-state plane wave arrivals. For efficient classification, we make use of the supervised machine learning method of support vector machines that is trained using data-independent, analytically derived six-component polarization models. This enables the rapid classification of seismic phases in a fully automated fashion, even for large data volumes, such as encountered in land-seismic exploration or ambient noise seismology. Once the wave-type is known, additional wave parameters (velocity, directionality and ellipticity) can be directly extracted from the six-component polarization states without the need to resort to expensive optimization algorithms. We illustrate the benefits of our approach on various real and synthetic data examples for applications such as automated phase picking, aliased ground-roll suppression in land-seismic exploration and the rapid close-to real-time extraction of surface wave dispersion curves from single-station recordings of ambient noise. Additionally, we argue that an initial step of wave type classification is necessary in order to successfully apply the common technique of extracting phase velocities from combined measurements of rotational and translational motion.

Publication status

published

Editor

Book title

Volume

234 (1)

Pages / Article No.

25 - 39

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Event

Edition / version

Methods

Software

Geographic location

Date collected

Date created

Subject

Time-series analysis; Body waves; Machine learning; Rotational seismology; Surface waves and free oscillations; Theoretical seismology; Polarization analysis

Organisational unit

03953 - Robertsson, Johan / Robertsson, Johan check_circle

Notes

Funding

821881 - Planetary Instruments based on Optical technologies for a New European Exploration with Rotational Seismology (EC)

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