The Brazilian Seismographic Network: current state and future challenges

The Brazilian Seismographic Network (RSBR) was deployed between 2009 and 2016 mainly with resources from PETROBRAS and is currently maintained by the Brazilian Geological Survey (CPRM). Four FDSN sub-networks (BL, BR, NB, ON), operated respectively by University of Sao Paulo (USP), University of Brasilia (UnB), Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) and National Observatory (ON), compose RSBR with a total of 87 permanent stations.

Data from RSBR are open-access and transmitted over satellite, 3G modems or WISP networks. For acquisition, real-time processing and distribution, RSBR uses SeisComP3. Nowadays the Network distributes real-time and on-demand data to hundreds of researches and institutions in Brazil and around the world.

Besides the most common products of a seismic network, sometimes RSBR data was used to assist Brazilian society as in case of “Sentiu aí?” (“Did you feel it?”). In two years of operation, the locally developed platform “Sentiu Aí?” a tool to collect data from people who felt an earthquake, received more than 800 reports, helping RSBR seismologists to identify earthquakes that were not located by the real-time processing system. Recently, “Sentiu Aí?” received a mobile version, allowing faster and more accurate reports.

Currently RSBR strives to improve the data quality control, increase the availability of transmission and develop a better way to exchange data between the nodes in RSBR. These efforts will provide more reliable and up-to-date data to society, researchers and other research institutions in Brazil and worldwide.