How Well Can We Extract the Permanent Displacement from Low-Cost MEMS Accelerometers?

Area of Science:

• Earthquake seismology
• Geodesy
• Geophysical instrumentation

Background:

• A high-density seismic network using low-cost micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) P-wave-alert-device (P-Alert) has been established in Taiwan.
• A substantial volume of strong-motion data from moderate-magnitude earthquakes (ML > 6) has been collected.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of determining coseismic deformation (Cd) using P-Alert accelerograms.
• To evaluate the accuracy and timeliness of Cd estimations from low-cost MEMS accelerometers.

Main Methods:

• A data preprocessing scheme was employed to recover dynamic averages from P-Alert data.
• An automatic baseline correction method was applied to P-Alert accelerograms to calculate coseismic deformation.
• Cd values were compared with those obtained from Global Positioning System (GPS) data and the Taiwan Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (TSMIP).

Main Results:

• Near-real-time determination of coseismic deformation (Cd) exceeding 2 cm is achievable.
• Low-cost MEMS accelerometers provide reliable data for seismic hazard assessment.
• P-Alert network data is comparable to traditional strong-motion and GPS data for Cd determination.

Conclusions:

• Low-cost MEMS accelerometers are effective for near-real-time coseismic deformation estimation.
• This technology offers a valuable tool for seismic hazard mitigation efforts.
• The P-Alert network enhances Taiwan's earthquake early warning capabilities.