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Rapid 3-D Earthquake Location using a Hybrid Global–Local Inversion Approach

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Abstract

A novel hybrid approach to earthquake location is proposed which uses a combined coarse global search and fine local inversion with a minimum search routine. The method exploits the advantages of network ray tracing and robust formulation of the Fréchet derivatives to simultaneously update all sampled initial source parameters in the solution space to determine the best solution. Synthetic examples, involving a three-dimensional (3-D) complex velocity model and a challenging source–receiver layout, are used to demonstrate the advantages over direct grid search algorithms in terms of solution accuracy, computational efficiency, and sensitivity to noise. Therefore, this is a promising scheme for earthquake early warning, tsunami early warning, rapid hazard assessment, and emergency response after strong earthquake occurrence.

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Acknowledgments

This research work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, project number: 40534021 and 40774020). We thank Prof. Gary Pavlis of Indiana University, whose comments improve the manuscript substantially.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geophysics, College of Geology Engineering and Geomatics, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Chao-ying Bai & Rui Zhao

  2. Key Laboratory of Western China’s Mineral Resources and Geology Engineering, Education Ministry of China, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Chao-ying Bai

  3. Institute of Geophysics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

    Stewart Greenhalgh

  4. Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia

    Stewart Greenhalgh

Authors
  1. Chao-ying Bai
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  2. Rui Zhao
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  3. Stewart Greenhalgh
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Correspondence to Chao-ying Bai.

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Bai, Cy., Zhao, R. & Greenhalgh, S. Rapid 3-D Earthquake Location using a Hybrid Global–Local Inversion Approach. Pure Appl. Geophys. 167, 1377–1387 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-010-0102-4

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