An augmented seismic network to study off-shore seismicity around the Maltese Islands : the FASTMIT experiment

Abstract

Appropriate planning and deployment of a seismic network is a prerequisite to efficiently monitor seismic activity, determine the seismic source, and eventually contribute to the seismotectonic interpretation and seismic hazard assessment. The evaluation and effectiveness of a local network on the Maltese islands, recently extended by a further six seismic stations for one year, is presented. We investigate the new temporary network's data and site selection quality, utilizing spectral patterns in the seismic data and also evaluate the network's event location performance by relocating a number of recorded events. The results will be signifi cant for the future installation of permanent seismic stations on the Maltese islands.