Güralp Software Solutions for Seismic Network Operations and Strong Motion Monitoring

Güralp Systems Ltd. have a long history of developing software for users to access and manage their Güralp seismic instrumentation. Discovery is the software platform developed for the Minimus family of seismic digitisers, it incorporates a set of freely available tools to deliver station configuration and State Of Health (SOH) functionality but extends this to provide an interface for a range of other more advanced Güralp software applications.

One such example is Güralp Data Centre (GDC) which offers ‘one click’ tools to configure instruments to stream data to a central (typically cloud based) server for archiving, where it is saved in industry standard ‘miniSEED’ format in configurable folder structures. This application is particularly important for operators dealing with large volumes of seismic waveform data from regional/national networks. Additionally, the data can be transmitted to downstream processors such as Earthworm or SeisComP for more advanced seismic monitoring and data analysis. For simplified network management, an integrated VPN/Tunnel circumvents Network Address Translations (NATs) present in internet modems and ADSL connections, allowing the network manager to remotely update digitizer firmware and upload configuration files to multiple units simultaneously. Long term latency monitoring, network outages and bandwidth usage are captured and displayed in a number of applets that further assist operators of large networks. The GDC dashboard allows network managers to view data integrity over time so that latency performance can be monitored and assessed.

The optional MAGNA module builds on the existing capabilities within the Güralp Data Centre framework to offer a solution for customers seeking to integrate seismic monitoring into their asset management programme. MAGNA supports the response decision process by providing comprehensive guidance after a seismic event by utilising triggered data to produce user-friendly reports, shake maps and email / SMS text alerts. To leverage the maximum value from the system, existing site-specific fragility data for each of the sites on the network can be applied so that a rapid assessment of the likely damage to each facility can be made following an earthquake. The severity levels and recipient details can be modified by permitted users to meet the needs of the business. 

As a cloud-based system, users do not need to download and maintain the software on their computer systems, simplifying hardware and networking requirements. Access to specific applications is set on a per user basis. Desktop as a Service (“DaaS”) technology allows the connection to be made via a web browser, yet offers desktop versatility on cloud hosted systems maintained and resourced by Güralp.