The ability of a strong-motion network to resolve wavefields can be described on three axes: frequency, amplitude, and space. While the need for spatial resolution is apparent, for practical reasons that axis is often neglected. TREMOR is a MEMS-based accelerograph using wireless Internet to minimize lifecycle cost. TREMOR instruments can economically augment traditional ones, residing between them to improve spatial resolution. The TREMOR instrument described here has dynamic range of 96 dB between ±2 g, or 102 dB between ±4 g. It is linear to <1% of full scale (FS), with a response function effectively shaped electronically. We developed an economical, very low noise, accurate (<1%FS) temperature compensation method. Displacement is easily recovered to 10-cm accuracy at full bandwidth, and better with care. We deployed prototype instruments in Oakland, California, beginning in 1998, with 13 now at mean spacing of ∼3 km—one of the most densely instrumented urban centers in the United States. This array is among the quickest in returning (PGA, PGV, Sa) vectors to ShakeMap, ∼75 to 100 s. Some 13 events have been recorded. A ShakeMap and an example of spatial variability are shown. Extensive tests of the prototypes for a commercial instrument are described here and in a companion paper.
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Research Article|
February 01, 2005
TREMOR: A Wireless MEMS Accelerograph for Dense Arrays
John R. Evans, Assoc.M.EERI;
John R. Evans, Assoc.M.EERI
a)
U.S. Geological Survey, MS-977, 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025
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Robert H. Hamstra, Jr.;
Robert H. Hamstra, Jr.
b)
Circuit Solutions, 6125 Prospect Rd., San Jose, CA 95129 (deceased)
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Christoph Kündig;
Christoph Kündig
c)
GeoSIG Ltd., KanalStraße 11, 8152 Glattbrugg, Switzerland
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Patrick Camina;
Patrick Camina
c)
GeoSIG Ltd., KanalStraße 11, 8152 Glattbrugg, Switzerland
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John A. Rogers, Assoc.M.EERI
John A. Rogers, Assoc.M.EERI
d)
DAQ Systems, 15044 Kelly Canyon Rd., Bozeman, MT 59715
Search for other works by this author on:
John R. Evans, Assoc.M.EERI
a)
U.S. Geological Survey, MS-977, 345 Middlefield Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025
Robert H. Hamstra, Jr.
b)
Circuit Solutions, 6125 Prospect Rd., San Jose, CA 95129 (deceased)
Christoph Kündig
c)
GeoSIG Ltd., KanalStraße 11, 8152 Glattbrugg, Switzerland
Patrick Camina
c)
GeoSIG Ltd., KanalStraße 11, 8152 Glattbrugg, Switzerland
John A. Rogers, Assoc.M.EERI
d)
DAQ Systems, 15044 Kelly Canyon Rd., Bozeman, MT 59715
Publisher: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
First Online:
01 Jun 2020
Online ISSN: 1944-8201
Print ISSN: 8755-2930
© 2005 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Earthquake Spectra (2005) 21 (1): 91–124.
Article history
First Online:
01 Jun 2020
Citation
John R. Evans, Robert H. Hamstra, Christoph Kündig, Patrick Camina, John A. Rogers; TREMOR: A Wireless MEMS Accelerograph for Dense Arrays. Earthquake Spectra 2005;; 21 (1): 91–124. doi: https://doi.org/10.1193/1.1856534
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- acceleration
- accelerometers
- Alameda County California
- amplitude
- arrays
- bedrock
- body waves
- California
- Cenozoic
- earthquakes
- elastic waves
- frequency
- ground motion
- Holocene
- instruments
- monitoring
- noise
- Oakland California
- peak ground acceleration
- Pleistocene
- Quaternary
- S-waves
- seismic networks
- seismic waves
- seismograms
- soils
- strong motion
- testing
- United States
- urban environment
- wave fields
- peak ground velocity
- TREMOR
- Yountville earthquake 2000
- Merritt Sand
- El Cerrito earthquake 1998
Latitude & Longitude
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