Accelerometer Versus Geophone Response: A Field Case History

There has been considerable interest in the geophysical community surrounding the use of MEMS accelerometers as a new sensor in the acquisition of seismic data (Dragoset and Gabitzsch, 2007; Laine and Mougenot, 2007). It has been suggested that accelerometers, with their flat response in acceleration, may have advantages over geophones at low frequencies as well as high frequencies - due to greater sensitivity (Maxwell et al., 2001; Mougenot and Thorburn, 2004). If both sensors’ frequency responses correspond to what the simple harmonic oscillator model would predict, then it should be straightforward to calculate an equivalent output in any domain desired. The output of the sensors could then be compared to show if differences are in evidence and whether either sensor more accurately represents ground motion.