SERA TA Project # 44

Title of Project:
Design, location and processing of a regional array in SW Portugal – Europe
Hosting Research Infrastructure:
NORSAR

No. of Users:
1

Team Leader:
University of Evora

Joao Fontiela

Team:
_


Summary of Project:
For the first time will be installed in Portugal a permanent seismic array (SA) to study seismicity in Portugal and adjacent zones and support the national Earthquake Early Warning System (EEWS). The aim of this array is monitoring in detail the seismicity, refine velocity models, detection of small-scale heterogeneities, forensic seismology, and structures in the earth’s mantle. Nevertheless, Portugal faces a problem to install and maintain such type of facility due to the need to deepen research in the SA, either on setting a seismic array or selecting processing methods. To install a SA we must find the trade-off between their aperture, instruments spacing, number and type of stations, the geometry of the SA. An incorrect option will affect with a negative impact the future of this infrastructure.
Visiting NORSAR will be also fundamental to acquire skills in the SA processing. Amongst the several methods available like Beam Forming, f-k analysis, Vespa process Slant Stacks, and Beaman. Some of these methods will be used to process data from two temporary SA installed in the south of Portugal.
The deployment of the permanent SA will contribute to the EEWS which will work in association with the national seismic network. To achieve this purpose it is paramount the array geometry is accurate. The use of a seismic network with SA arises another question related with the most suitable processing scheme to calculate the earthquake location.
This transnational access research infrastructure is an opportunity for Portugal to have access to a structure with a very long experience and knowledge in SA. The project will transfer knowledge, and support in setting up a SA from the scratch to be used in seismological studies and contribute to EEWS. With the project, we will define the design and siting SA that fulfill our requirements and goals. It is an opportunity process SA data from two temporary arrays with experts that will enrich our experience.