A recursive matched-filter to systematically explore volcanic long-period earthquake swarms

• Published in: Geophysical Journal International
• Main Authors: Wimez, M, Frank, W B
• Other Authors: WBF, National Science Foundation, EAR
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press (OUP) 2022
• Subjects: Mount Sidley; Sidley; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggac221; https://academic.oup.com/gji/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/gji/ggac221/44112098/ggac221.pdf; https://academic.oup.com/gji/article-pdf/231/2/912/45053149/ggac221.pdf

Summary The matched-filter technique is an effective way to detect repeats, or near-repeats, of a seismic source, but prior identification of an event from that source to use as a template is required. We propose a recursive matched-filter approach to systematically explore earthquake swarms, here applied to a swarm of volcanic long-period seismicity beneath Mount Sidley in Antarctica. We start with a single visually chosen template event with a high signal-to-noise ratio. We then extend our template database by selecting new templates to use in a subsequent matched-filter search from the newly detected set of events, allowing us to recursively expand the number of templates. We demonstrate that each iteration of the matched-filter search progressively extends the spatial coverage of our set of templates away from the original template event. In such a way, our proposed method overcomes the matched-filter search’s strictest constraint: that an event must already be identified to detect other similar events. Our recursive matched-filtering approach is well suited for the systematic exploration of earthquake swarms in both volcanic and tectonic contexts.