Microseismic feasibility study: detection of small magnitude events (Ml<0.0) for mapping active faults in the Betic Cordillera (Spain)
We present the results of the first application of the newly developed concept «Nanoseismic Monitoring» on active<br />faults in the region close to Murcia, Spain. The aim of this microseismic feasibility study is to test if it is possible<br />to record small magnitude events (ML<0.0) within a short period of time with surface installations and to investigate<br />if these events are related to the regional catalog in terms of amount of events. The seismic monitoring<br />was performed with one small array called the Seismic Navigating System. It consists of one central three component<br />and three one component seismometers arranged tripartitely around the central station. In the measurement<br />period of two nights at two different sites we were able to detect 19 microearthquakes down to ML = -2.6. The results<br />correlate well with the frequency-magnitude distribution of the regional bulletin. This in turn will allow for<br />estimation of monitoring rates before actual field measurements just from bulletin data. Given an activity rate of<br />5 to 10 events per night one may map active fault zones within just a few weeks of field campaign.