Data Services Newsletter

Volume 12 : No 2 : Fall 2010

Virtual Networks at the DMC

A virtual network is a group of stations and/or seismic networks, representing an affiliation that goes beyond the traditional bounds of seismic networks to represent an umbrella organization or initiative.

Screenshot of the Cascadia Virtual Network Map
Figure 1: Cascadia Virtual Network Map

Virtual networks associate to recording stations and seismic networks either indefinitely or for some limited period of time. It is a grouping system that reflects growing partnerships between seismic institutions to undertake large projects and act as a single, newly formed entity. The virtual network naming system allows these traditional networks to have their data represented under the auspices of one or more of these initiatives.

Examples

The adopted standard is to indicate a virtual network by a leading underscore (’_’), thereby removing ambiguity as to the meaning of a tag entry.

by Tim Knight (IRIS Data Management Center)

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