Improvements in seismic resolution and current limitations in the Global Seismographic Network

Abstract

Station noise levels play a fundamental limitation in our ability to detect seismic signals. These noise levels are frequency-dependent and arise from a number of physically different drivers. At periods greater than 100 s, station noise levels are often limited by the self-noise of the instrument as well as the sensitivity of the instrument to non-seismic noise sources. Recently, station operators in the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) have deployed several Streckeisen STS-6A very broad-band borehole seismometers. These sensors provide a potential replacement for the no-longer-produced Streckeisen STS-1 seismometer and the GeoTech KS-54 000 borehole seismometer. Along with showing some of the initial observational improvements from installing modern very broad-band seismometers at depth, we look at current limitations in the seismic resolution from earth tide periods 100 000 s (0.01 mHz) to Nyquist at most GSN sites (0.02 s or 50 Hz). Finally, we show the potential for improved observations of continuously excited horizontal Earth hum as well as the splitting of very long-period torsional modes. Both of these observations make use of the low horizontal noise levels which are obtained by installing very broad-band borehole seismometers at depth.