Effects of Thermal Variability on Broadband Seismometers: Controlled Experiments, Observations, and Implications

Abstract

Research Article| December 26, 2017 Effects of Thermal Variability on Broadband Seismometers: Controlled Experiments, Observations, and Implications C. D. Doody; C. D. Doody aUniversity of Chicago, Department of Geophysical Sciences, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. T. Ringler; A. T. Ringler bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar R. E. Anthony; R. E. Anthony bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar D. C. Wilson; D. C. Wilson bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar A. A. Holland; A. A. Holland bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C. R. Hutt; C. R. Hutt bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L. D. Sandoval L. D. Sandoval cKBRwyle, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010dAlso at U.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information C. D. Doody aUniversity of Chicago, Department of Geophysical Sciences, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, [e-mail] A. T. Ringler bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 R. E. Anthony bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 D. C. Wilson bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 A. A. Holland bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 C. R. Hutt bU.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010 L. D. Sandoval cKBRwyle, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010dAlso at U.S. Geological Survey, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, P.O. Box 82010, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87198‐2010. Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 26 Dec 2017 Online Issn: 1943-3573 Print Issn: 0037-1106 © Seismological Society of America Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2018) 108 (1): 493–502. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170233 Article history First Online: 26 Dec 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation C. D. Doody, A. T. Ringler, R. E. Anthony, D. C. Wilson, A. A. Holland, C. R. Hutt, L. D. Sandoval; Effects of Thermal Variability on Broadband Seismometers: Controlled Experiments, Observations, and Implications. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2017;; 108 (1): 493–502. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120170233 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of the Seismological Society of America Search Advanced Search Abstract Isolating seismic instruments from temperature fluctuations is routine practice within the seismological community. However, the necessary degree of thermal stability required in broadband installations to avoid generating noise or compromising the fidelity in the seismic records is largely unknown and likely application dependent. To quantify the temperature sensitivity of seismometers over a broad range of frequencies, we artificially induced local temperature changes on three different models of seismometers to measure the effect of thermal variations on seismometer output. We found that diurnal temperature changes above 0.002°C root mean square (rms) showed significant changes in velocity and acceleration output in comparison to thermally stable reference measurements. We also found that sensor incoherent self‐noise increased with temperature variation; these increases in noise can be modeled as 1/f noise (pink noise), and are unlikely to be easily corrected for. These experimental results are compared with the data from Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global Seismographic Network (GSN) station TUC (Tucson, Arizona). This station is well instrumented with temperature sensors and has three different broadband seismometers, each of which uses a different method of thermal isolation. We show that the water bricks and borehole installations give ample temperature attenuation to thermally isolate seismometers from diurnal thermal variability that would compromise seismic data. We find that seismometer installations that provide thermal stability below 0.002°C rms could help to improve long‐period vertical seismic data across the GSN by decreasing temperature‐driven 1/f noise. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.