A maximum a posteriori probability time-delay estimation for seismic signals

Cross-correlation and cross-spectral time delays often exhibit strong outliers due to ambiguities or cycle jumps in the correlation function. Their number increases when signal-to-noise, signal similarity or spectral bandwidth decreases. Such outliers heavily determine the time-delay probability density function and the results of further computations (e.g. double-difference location and tomography) using these time delays. In the present research we expressed cross-correlation as a function of the squared difference between signal amplitudes and show that they are closely related. We used this difference as a cost function whose minimum is reached when signals are aligned. Ambiguities may be removed in this function by using a priori information. We propose using the traveltime difference as a priori time-delay information. By modelling the probability density function of the traveltime difference by a Cauchy distribution and the probability density function of the data (differences of seismic signal amplitudes) by a Laplace distribution we were able to find explicitly the time-delay a posteriori probability density function. The location of the maximum of this a posteriori probability density function is the maximum a posteriori time-delay estimation for earthquake signals. Using this estimation to calculate time delays for earthquakes on the south flank of Kilauea statistically improved the cross-correlation time-delay estimation for these data and resulted in successful double-difference relocation for an increased number of earthquakes. This robust time-delay estimation improves the spatiotemporal resolution of seismicity rates in the south flank of Kilauea.