Earthquake Detection In The Jiangsu Region, China Using Graphics-Processing-Unit-Based Match & Locate And Rapid Earthquake Association And Location

Earthquake detection and location are essential in earthquake studies, which generally consists of two main classes: waveform-based and pick-based methods. To evaluate the ability of two different methods, a graphics-processing-unit-based Match & Locate (GPU-M&L) method and a rapid earthquake association and location (REAL) method are applied to continuous seismic data recorded by 24 digital seismic stations from Jiangsu Seismic Network during 2013 for comparison. GPU-M&L is one of waveform-based methods by waveform cross-correlations while REAL is one of pick-based method to associate arrivals of different seismic phases and locate events through counting the number of P and S picks and travel time residuals. Twenty-six templates are selected from the Jiangsu Seismic Network local catalog by using the GPU-M&L. The number of newly detected and located events is about 2.8 times more than those listed in the local catalog. We both utilize a deep-neural-network-based arrival-time picking method called PhaseNet and a short-term/long-term average (STA/LTA) trigger algorithm for seismic phase detection and picking by applying the REAL. We then refine seismic locations using a least-squares location method (VELEST) and a high-precision relative location method (hypoDD). By applying STA/LTA and PhaseNet, 1006 and 1893 events are associated and located, respectively. The newly detected events are mainly clustered and show steeply dipping fault planes. By analyzing the performance of these methods based on long-term continuous seismic data, the detected catalogs by the GPU-M&L and REAL show that the magnitudes of completeness are 1.4 and 0.8, respectively, which are smaller than 2.6 given by the local catalog. Although REAL provides improvement compared with GPU-M&L, REAL is highly dependent on phase detection and picking which is strongly affected by signal-noise ratio (SNR). Stations at southeast of the study region with low SNR may lead to few detections in the same area.