TextAPPRAISING EARTHQUAKE HYPOCENTER LOCATION ERRORS 1707 ANALYZING DIFFERENT SOURCES OF HYPOCENTRAL ERROR Introduction. Having seen the limitations of the approximation given by equation (18), we can approach the practical problem of what to do with this result. The problem is that with real data the vectors emodel, n, and e are fundamentally unknown. Our only information about them is provided by a projection of the residual vector, (I -AA+)i ". Unfortunately, the above analysis shows that ~ is a sum of all three error terms and is evaluated at the wrong place in space-time. The basic idea here is to use auxiliary information to appraise the relative importance of each term. This provides a valuable error appraisal tool to provide a more complete and realistic appraisal of location uncertainties. I now consider methods for estimating each of these terms. The order in which they are considered is significant. Measurement error term. Of the three terms in equation (18), e is unique in that it is the only truly statistical quantity. Thus, although e may be unknowable, we can assume we know something about its statistics [see Freedman (1966) or Leaver (1984) for examples of particularly careful studies]. For impulsive arrivals measured from analog records, the ¢ are approximately normally distributed with zero mean (Buland, 1976). For emergent arrivals, the e, tend to have a distribution skewed toward positive numbers due to a tendency to pick weak arrivals too late (Anderson, 1982). Finally, with newer computer picking methods, the distribution of e~ may be somewhat complicated, but at least the gross details of the distribution are known (Allen, 1982; Leaver, 1984). In any case, if we know something about the probability density function of e, it is a standard exercise in regression analysis (see Flinn, 1965; Hoel, 1971; Jordan and Sverdrup, 1981; and their associated references) that the errors induced by e can be appraised by examination of confidence ellipsoids. For the hypocenter location problem, this amounts to outlining an ellipsoidal region in space-time characterized by (h -/t)~C~-~(h -~) <= ~ (20)source(scholar.google.ro...://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download%3Fdoi%3D10.1.1.127.1365%26rep%3Drep
TextNonlinear error term. Even in his original work on the subject, Flinn (1965) recognized the potential problem posed by nonlinearity in appraisal of hypocentral location error estimates. Flinn's ideas about how to correct error ellipsoids to account for nonlinear effects, however, have been largely ignored as far as I can judge. Other notable attempts to provide more complete error calculations that account for nonlinearity are given by Tarantola and Valette (1982) and by Rowlett and Forsyth (1984). The former is particularly novel and complete, but its practi- cality for routine use is questionable (Thurber, 1986). In this paper, I propose a simple, but fundamentally different method for appraising the potential influence of nonlinearity based on the second-order approximation of equation (17) and a bounding criterion similar to that used in equation (25) above. If we knew 5h a priori, equation (17) provides a means for estimating n as shown by the results in Figure 4. In real life, however, 5h is unknown. On the other hand, we usually know at least something about its scale, P = HI 5x lB. (26)source(scholar.google.ro...://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download%3Fdoi%3D10.1.1.127.1365%26rep%3Drep


It just seems nice and simple.
