Input parameters

This page goes over the input_parameters.yaml file, and the different options for each section.

Network

This section describes the stations that will be used for array analysis. It follows the general FDSN format.

net (str)

• Network of seismic data.
• Examples: "9C", "AK", "IU"

sta (str)

• Station to be used. If similar name, use *.
• Examples: "POM*", "KD*", "2A*"

loc (str)

• Location to be used. If unsure, use *.
• Examples: "*", "10"

chan (str)

• Channel to do analysis on.
• Examples: "SHZ", "DHZ", "BHZ"

client (str)

• Obspy client to use.
• Examples: "IRIS", "EARTHSCOPE", "GEOFON"

Stations

This section goes over station specific attributes that can be tuned for specific use cases.

min_stations (int)

• Minimum number of stations needed for array analysis. If there are not enough stations available for an earthquake, it will skip that event.
• Examples: 10, 3

remove_stations (list)

• List of stations to remove. If no stations to remove, leave as empty list.
• Examples: ["POM06", "POM07", "POM18"], []

keep_stations (list)

• List of stations to keep, removes all other stations not specified. Will keep all stations if empty list.
• Examples: ["POM02", "POM09","POM04"], []

array_name (str)

• Array name for use in saving data and reference in the future.
• Examples: "POM", "Kodiak"

use_full_deployment (bool)

• Whether or not to use events for the entire length of the deployment, based on data availability from inventory. If false, will use specified starttime and endtime in the Earthquakes section.
• Examples: true, false

path_to_inventory (str)

• Path to inventory if it is stored locally. If not on local machine, use nan
• Examples: './path_to_inv', nan

save_events (bool)

• Whether or not to save the data at the end of the script. If true, will save to working directory. If false, will not save.
• Examples: true, false

save_stations (bool)

• Whether or not to save the station information (lat, lon, elev) for all stations.
• Examples: true, false

Mseed

This section goes over pulling waveforms locally, how to save mseeds locally, and how to specify the length of the data file.

save_mseed (bool)

• Whether to save mseed data to local machine. If true, will save to mseed path.
• Examples: true, false

mseed_path (str)

• Path for previously stored .mseed files or where to save new mseeds.
• Examples: './path_to_mseeds'

mseed_length (float)

• Length of the mseed (in seconds) to be used for analysis. The mseed will be centered on the expected arrival time of the p-wave. For example, if you specified 120, this will be a 120 second record with the expected p-arrival 60 seconds into the record. The length of the mseed should be long enough to allow for the specified STA/LTA method to stabilize before the earthquake arrival.
• Examples: 120, 60

Earthquakes

This section helps specify what earthquakes to do array analysis over and the velocity model for doing slowness analysis.

min_mag (float)

• Minimum magnitude of earthquakes to search for in USGS catalog.
• Examples: 3.0, 6.0

max_rad (float)

• Max radius of search area from array in kilometers.
• Examples: 300, 600

velocity_model (str)

• Velocity model to be used for catalog slowness calculation. Uses TauP notation and preloaded examples. Can also use a local velocity model, but need to add to your conda environment directly.
• Examples: 'ak135', 'iasp91'

starttime (str)

• Start time of time-range to search for earthquakes and station data in UTC format. Dictates time range for earthquake seach if use_full_deployment = false.
• Examples: "2025-10-01T01:00:00", "2014-03-08"

endtime (str)

• End time of time-range to search for earthquakes and station data in UTC format.
• Examples: "2025-10-01T01:00:00", "2014-03-20"

Array_processing

This section specifies aspects of the array analysis to be performed.

processing (str)

• Specifies what array algorithm to use options are: "ls", "lts", "fk".
• Examples: "LS", "LTS", "FK"

freq_min (float)

• Minimum frequency used for bandpass filter prior to array analysis (Hz). If wanting to test several frequency bands at once, use a list. List should be same length as freq_max.
• Examples: 2, 8.6, [0.1,0.5,1]

freq_max (float)

• Maximum frequency used for bandpass filter prior to array analysis (Hz). If wanting to test multiple frequency bands at once, use a list. List should be same length as freq_min.
• Examples: 10, 20, [10,15,20]

window_length (float)

• Length of window to do array analysis over (seconds). If wanting to test multiple window lengths at once, use a list.
• Examples: 0.5, 4, [0.5, 1, 2]

window_step (float)

• Step between array analysis windows (seconds). Value should be less than the window length to allow for overlap.
• Examples: 0.25, 0.5

window_start (float)

• Time relative to the trigger time to start the array analysis window (seconds). If the window should start before the STA/LTA trigger, the value should be negative. If after, it should be positive.
• Examples: -1, 1

Trigger

This section defines aspects of the STA/LTA trigger used for determining array analysis window.

timing (str)

• How to determine where to do array analysis. Options: 'trigger': uses STA/LTA trigger as indicator to start array analysis window; 'power': picks out the max mdccm/absolute power from the p-tolerance window.
• Examples: 'trigger', 'power'

ptolerance (float)

• Seconds around the expected p-arrival to try and associate groups of STA/LTA triggers. The value input is a +/- value. For example, a value of 5 will mean trigger groups will be searched in a 10s window centered on the expected p-arrival.
• Examples: 5, 10

multiple_triggers (str)

• Specifies how to handle instance where there are multiple trigger times in the ptolerance window. Options: 'closest': picks the trigger time that is closest to the expected p-arrival; 'peak': picks the trigger time that has the highest signal-to-noise ratio in the p-tolerance window; 'first': picks the first trigger time in the p-tolerance window.
• Examples: 'closest', 'peak', 'first'

no_triggers (str)

• Specifies how to handle case where there are no triggers in the first p-tolerance window. Options: 'max mdccm': picks out the value with the highest beam power/cross-correlation coefficient; 'taup': picks out the expected p-arrival time from the 1D travel time module TauP in Obspy.
• Examples: 'max mdccm', 'taup'

trig_freq_min (float)

• Minimum frequency of bandpass filter prior to STA/LTA trigger.
• Examples: 2, 0.5

trig_freq_max (float)

• Maximum frequency of bandpass filter prior to STA/LTA trigger.
• Examples: 10, 20

short_window (float)

• Length of the short-term-average window (STA) of the STA/LTA in seconds.
• Examples: 2.5, 0.05

long_window (float)

• Length of the long-term-average window (LTA) of the STA/LTA in seconds. Needs to be longer than the short window.
• Examples: 5, 30

on_threshold (float)

• STA/LTA ratio threshold to label a 'trigger'. If exceeded, the trigger window will be turned on.
• Examples: 2.5, 20

off_threshold (float)

• STA/LTA ratio threshold to turn off a trigger window if it is already on. Helps give sense of longevity of a signal.
• Examples: 1, 5

FK

This section goes over FK specific input parameters. This parameters follow the Obspy FK array processing routine.

sll_x (float)

• Lower limit of the slowness grid in x.
• Examples: -1.0

slm_x (float)

• Upper limit of the slowness grid in x.
• Examples: 1.0

sll_y (float)

• Lower limit of the slowness grid in y.
• Examples: -1.0

slm_y (float)

• Upper limit of the slowness grid in y.
• Examples: 1.0

sl_s (float)

• Slowness step (grid size).
• Examples: 0.03

semb_thres (float)

• Threshold for semblance.
• Examples: -1e9

vel_thres (float)

• Threshold for velocity.
• Examples: -1e9

timestamp (str)

• Type of timestamp to use.
• Examples: 'mlabday', 'julsec'

prewhiten (float)

• Do prewhitening. Options: 1, 0
• Examples: 0

Plots

Different plots for viewing the data. The maps are made using Pygmt.

earthquake_map (bool)

• Whether or not to plot the earthquake map of events used.
• Examples: true, false

baz_error (bool)

• Whether or not to plot the backazimuth error as a function of source azimuth.
• Examples: true, false

slow_error (bool)

• Whether or not to plot the slowness error as a function of source azimuth.
• Examples: true, false

baz_error_map (bool)

• Whether or not to plot the backazimuth errors on a map. Dots are catalog earthquake locations and vectors show the direction of the array measured backazimuth. The length of the vector corresponds to the amount of error.
• Examples: true, false

slow_error_map (bool)

• Whether or not to plot the slowness errors on a map. Vectors pointing up are a positive error, vectors pointing down are a negative error. The length of vector corresponds to the amount of error.
• Examples: true, false

save_fig (bool)

• Whether or not to save figures once plotted.
• Examples: true, false

fig_path (str)

• Path to put the figures that are being saved.
• Examples: './path_to_save_figures/'