Abstract
The Intelligent Monitoring System (IMS) integrates advanced technologies in a knowledge-based distributed system that automates most of the seismic data interpretation process. Results from IMS during its first 8 weeks of operation (1 October through 25 November 1989) are analyzed to evaluate its performance. During this test period, the IMS processed essentially all data recorded by the NORESS and ARCESS high-frequency arrays in Norway. The emphasis was on detection and location of regional events within 2,000 km of these arrays. All events were reviewed and corrected if necessary by a skilled analyst. The final IMS Bulletin for the period includes 1,580 regional events (∼280 events/day). Approximately 55 per cent were smaller than MLg 1, with the largest just over MLg 3.
Comparison of IMS locations in southern Finland and northwestern USSR (800 to 900 km from both arrays) with event locations from the University of Helsinki's local network bulletin are used to assess the detection and location capabilities of the system. Two or more phases (minimum needed to locate) were detected for 96 per cent of the events with magnitude greater than 2.5. The median separation between the IMS and Helsinki locations for all common events was 23.5 km. A consistent bias in arrival-time and azimuth residuals was observed for events in small geographic areas, indicating that refined travel-time models and path corrections could further improve location accuracy.
The knowledge base in this first version of IMS was based on analysis of NORESS data, and many of the errors in interpretation corrected by the analysts can be attributed to differences encountered when this knowledge is used to interpret ARCESS data. Nevertheless, nearly 60 per cent of the events appearing in the final bulletin are automatic solutions approved without change or moved (by analyst corrections) less than 25 km from the automatic locations. The IMS had the most difficulty interpreting the overlapping signals generated by closely spaced explosions commonly detonated at mines in the Kola Peninsula and northern Sweden. Using the knowledge acquisition facilities included in the system, the deficiencies responsible for these and other errors are isolated, leading to development of new knowledge to be incorporated in the next version of the IMS knowledge base.
