Potential Advantages of a Strong-motion Velocity Meter over a Strong-motion Accelerometer

Creators: Clinton, John F.; Heaton, Thomas H.

Abstract

This study examines whether it would be better to deploy a velocity-recording strong-motion instrument in place of existing force-balance accelerometers. The proposed instrument would be comparable to a low-gain version of existing broadband seismometers. Using a large suite of Earth signals, we compare such a hypothetical long-period low-gain velocity seismometer (with a clipping level set to ±5 m/s) with the existing ±2 g clipping Kinemetrics FBA-23 accelerometer. We show that there are significant advantages in the deployment of the proposed instrument over an accelerometer.

Additional Information

© 2002 Seismological Society of America. The authors would like to thank Joe Steim, Egill Hauksson, and Susan Hough for their helpful comments and reviews. Regional and near-source data for southern California were obtained from TriNet and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) Strong Motion Data Base (SMDB). Further regional and near-source data were obtained from the Central Weather Bureau (CWB), Taiwan, the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute of Bogazici University, Turkey, and the Earthquake Research Department of the General Directorate of Disaster Affairs (ERD) , Turkey. Teleseismic data were obtained from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center (DMC). This research has been funded through TriNet. Funding for TriNet has been provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) through the Hazards Mitigation Grant Program established following the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The required 25% cost-sharing is provided by California Institute of Technology, California Trade and Commerce Agency, Caltrans, IDA H. L. Crotty, Verizon California, Donna and Greg Jenkins, Pacific Bell/CaIREN, Southern California Edison, Sun Microsystems, Inc., Times Mirror Foundation, and others. Funding has also been provided by the United States Geological Survey from its special Northridge funds. The Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC) is also funded by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC). IRIS has also provided support to TriNet.

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