Eqproc Overview

Eqproc is the first process in the earthquake-processing mega-module (sometimes referred to as "the sausage") that produces final earthquake locations for the Earthworm system. Only eqproc, the first link in the mega-module, is listed in startstop's configuration file to be started by startstop. Eqproc then starts the next process, specified in its "PipeTo" command, and communicates with it via a one-directional pipe. Each newly created sub-module starts the next link in the same way. From startstop's point of view, the whole mega-module inherits the name of the first link (eqproc) and that's the only name it displays. From statmgr's point of view, all processes within the mega-module share one module id, one heartbeat, and one descriptor file. However, each sub-module has its own configuration file and its own log file.

After starting up the next link in "the sausage," eqproc's main job is to gather information from picker(s) and binder, to decide when binder has completed a given event, to assemble all the information related to that event, and to pass it on to the next event-processing sub-module.

Eqproc collects messages from the picker(s) (TYPE_PICK2K and TYPE_CODA2K) and from binder (TYPE_QUAKE2K and TYPE_LINK). A TYPE_PICK2 message contains an observed P-wave arrival-time and amplitude for a given seismic channel along with the installation id, module id, and pick sequence number; the picker releases the pick message within ~3 seconds of a P-wave detection. A TYPE_CODA2 message contains coda duration and amplitude information along with the installation id, module id, and sequence number of the pick it relates to; the picker releases the coda message up to 144 seconds after its corresponding pick message. A TYPE_QUAKE2K message contains an event id number, origin time and hypocenter; binder issues a new quake message each time it associates a new pick with [or deletes pick(s) from] a given event id. A TYPE_LINK message contains an event id, an installation id, a picker module id, a pick sequence number and a phase identifier; binder issues a new link message for every pick it associates with (or deletes from) an active event.

Eqproc maintains two circular buffers:

1. Pick list

Contains the most recent MAXPCK (=1000) picks and their coda and link information (related by installation id, module id and pick sequence number) and the system-time that the pick was entered.

2. Quake list

Contains the most recent location and status of the last MAXHYP (=100) event ids and the system-time that the location was entered.

Every so often, eqproc looks thru its quake list to see how long it's been since a new location was entered for each event id. If no new location has been seen for "rpt_dwell" seconds (set in the configuration file), eqproc assumes that binder has completed that event. To "finalize" this event, eqproc:

1) looks through its pick list for all picks linked to that event id.

a) If all of these picks have coda information, eqproc continues to finalize the event now.

b) If any of these picks do not have coda information and it has been less than 150 seconds since the picks were entered into the pick list, eqproc will not finalize the event now, but will wait for coda messages to arrive.

c) If some picks do not have coda info and it's been longer than 150 seconds since the pick was entered in the pick list, eqproc assumes that the coda message will never be seen. It continues to finalize the event with zeroed coda information for those picks.