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Keeping the Promise of Earthworm

Session: Network Seismology: Keeping the Network Running While Integrating New Technologies II

Type: Oral

Date: 4/22/2021

Presentation Time: 03:00 PM Pacific

Description: 

With the founding of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) vision presented initially in the US Geological Survey Circular 1188, much has been accomplished in regional networks with increased efficiency and coherency of effort between regions. Organizing the US Reginal Seismic Networks (RSNs) into a national consortium provided many benefits and more focused funding; however, some negative consequences have become apparent over time. The focus of funding shifted toward public information emphasis while the community and education aspects of network operations diminished.

Dr. Caryl Johnson’s designs developed over 40 years, who unfortunately passed away this past November 2019, provided much of the foundational network and seismic association technology utilized by RSNs in the US and much of the world. For the last two years of her life, Dr. Johnson had been working on a new approach designed to reinvigorate the operations and collaboration between smaller regional networks without interfering with the critical work of ANSS, restoring the community focus and international cooperation lost over the past two decades. This approach returns to the promise of the Earthworm development, providing (1) scalability, (2) flexibility, (3) longevity, (4) data exchange, and (5) support.

The xQuake, open-source framework uses an executable graph foundation in a pipeline architecture that can be seamlessly integrated into current ANSS quake monitoring systems if desired. This approach incorporates new modern computer analytic methods, including multitopic Kafka exchange rings, cloud computing, a self-configuring phase associator, and machine learning. The xQuake system is designed to be free for noncommercial use, open-source, hardware-agnostic (Windows, Linux, Mac), with no requirement for commercial datastores.

While Dr. Johnson has developed much of the foundation of this new approach to Regional Seismic Network processing, however further work is needed to keep the promise and honor her legacy to the regional seismic community.

Presenting Author: Kay E. Aikin

Student Presenter: No

Authors