Station Information

Seed Channel Descriptions

The SCEDC identifies data streams using the Standard for the Exchange of Earthquake Data (SEED) channel-naming format. The SEED format uses three letters to name seismic and auxiliary channels where:

  1. the first letter specifies the sampling rate and the response band of the instrument
  2. the second character identifies the sensor instrument code and
  3. the third letter indicates the physical orientation of the channel

For a more detatailed description of the SEED convention, kindly refer to Appendix A of the SEED manual, maintained and distributed by IRIS.

A brief description of the SEED channels acquired by the SCSN and their respective SCEDC archiving status is outlined below.


SEED Channel Data Center Archive Description
ACE No Administrative clock error. A text-based message detailing clock quality changes.
ACU Continuous N/A
BCI Continuous Broadband (20 or 40 sps); Calibration input to the signal.
BH[ZNE] Continuous Broadband (20 or 40 sps);
Seismic data: High gain; standard convention: BH[ZNE]
BH[1-n] Continuous Broadband (20 or 40 sps);
Seismic data: High gain; downhole; convention: BH[1-n]
* lower numbers are lower in the hole, typically 123 is at the bottom, 456 mid-hole and 789 top of hole
BJ[ZNE] SCEDC continuously archives: CBC, DJJB, GSA, LBW1, LBW2, MIK, RSS, FA.FABS Broadband (20 or 40 sps);
Seismic data: Rotational value for a high gain seismometer; standard convention: BL[ZNE]
BL[ZNE] SCEDC continuously archives: CBC, DJJB, GSA, LBW1, LBW2, MIK, RSS, FA.FABS Broadband (20 or 40 sps);
Seismic data: Low gain; standard convention: BL[ZNE]
BN[ZNE] SCEDC continuously archives: CBC, DJJB, GSA, LBW1, LBW2, MIK, RSS, FA.FABS Broadband (20 or 40 sps);
Seismic data: Low gain; standard convention: BN[ZNE]
BN[1-n] SCEDC continuously archives: CBC, DJJB, GSA, LBW1, LBW2, MIK, RSS, FA.FABS Broadband (20 or 40 sps);
Seismic data: Accelerometer; standard convention: BN[1-n]
EH[ZNE] Triggered Extremely Short Period (100 sps; historic channels 62.5 sps);
Seismic data; High gain; standard convention: EH[ZNE]
EH[123] Continuous Extremely Short Period (100 sps; historic channels 62.5 sps);
Seismic data; High gain; standard convention: EH[123]
EL[ZNE] Triggered Extremely Short Period (100 sps);
Seismic data; High gain; standard convention: EL[ZNE]
HD[IO] Triggered for: GLA, ISA, NEE, PAS, RPV, SNCC, USC High Broadband (80 or 100 sps);
Pressure: barometer, or microbarometer pressure; I: inside; O: outside; HD[IO]
HH[ZNE] Triggered High Broadband (80 or 100 sps);
Seismic data: High gain; standard convention: HH[ZNE]
HJ[ZNE] Continuous High Broadband (80 or 100 sps);
Seismic data: Rotational value of high gain seismometer; standard convention: HH[ZNE]
HL[ZNE] Triggered High Broadband (80 or 100 sps);
Seismic data: Accelerometer; standard convention: HL[ZNE]
HL[1-n] Triggered High Broadband (80 or 100 sps);
Seismic data: Accelerometer; downhole standard convention: HL[1-n]
HN[ZNE] or HN[123456] Triggered High Broadband (80 or 100 sps);
Seismic data: Accelerometer; standard convention: HN[ZNE] or HN[123]
LCE Continuous Long period (1 sps); Clock channel, phase error in microseconds
LCL Continuous Long period (1 sps); Clock channel, lock loss in minutes
LCQ Continuous Long period (1 sps); Clock channel, clock quality as a percentage (0 - 100)%
LD[IO] Continuous Long period (1 sps);
Pressure: barometer, or microbarometer pressure; I: inside; O: outside; LD[IO]
LEB Continuous Long period (1 sps); Battery voltage
LEC Continuous Long period (1 sps); Input DC current
LEP No Long period (1 sps); Quanterra DC voltage
LH[ZNE] Continuous Long period (1 sps);
Seismic data: High gain; standard convention: LH[ZNE]
LH[12] Continuous Long period (1 sps);
Seismic data: High gain; standard convention: LH[ZNE]
LL[ZNE] Continuous Long period (1 sps);
Seismic data: Low gain; standard convention: LL[ZNE]
LII Continuous Long period (1 sps); Internal humidity of datalogger.
LJ[ZNE] Continuous Long period (1 sps); Rotational value of high gain seismometer
LKI Continuous Long period (1 sps); Internal temperature of data logger.
LL[1-n] Continuous Long period (1 sps);
Seismic data: Low gain; downhole; convention: LL[1-n]
LN[ZNE] or LN[1-n] Continuous Long period (1 sps);
Seismic data: Low gain; standard convention: LN[ZNE] or LN[1-n]
LOG No Datalogger-generated log messages related to operation, event detection and clock information. This channel is generally the definitive reference for datalogger diagnostic issues; qlog application will convert to text output.
LTW Continuous Long period (1 sps); Depth of water at monitoring site.
MH[ZNE] Continuous Mid period (1 - 10 sps)
Seismic data: High gain; standard convention: MH[ZNE]
OCF Continuous Opaque configuration file for datalogger.
SH[ZNE] Triggered Short Period (50 sps);
Seismic data; High gain; standard convention: SH[ZNE]
*only from NC, NN, SN networks
UCD No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Quanterra clock drift
UCQ No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Quanterra clock quality
UEP No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Quanterra DC voltage
UF[1...n] No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Quanterra free telemetry buffer; UF[1...n]
UFC No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Quanterra clock freq control
UK2 No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Temperature: Quanterra internal temperature
UM[ZNE] or UM[UVW] No Ultra Long Period (0.01 sps);
Mass Position; STS-1/Gurlap convention: UM[ZNE]; STS-2 convention: UM[UVW];
VCE Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Clock channel, phase error in microseconds
VCO Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
PLL channel, VCO value.
A measure of automatic adjustment applied to the oscillator to raise or lower
the clock frequency to phase lock with UTC.
VCQ Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Clock channel, clock quality as a percentage (0-100)%.
VD[IO] Continuous only if LD_ not available Very long period (0.1 sps);
Pressure: barometer, or microbarometer pressure; I: inside; O: outside; VD[IO]
VEA YES Very long period (0.1 sps);
System status channel, q330 internal temperature in degrees C.
VEC YES Very long period (0.1 sps);
System status channel, the current supplied to GPS antenna in milliamps.
VEP YES Very long period (0.1 sps);
Input DC power, available only on 730, 680 systems.
VFP Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Quanterra free telemetry buffer;
VH[ZNE] Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Seismic data: High gain; standard convention: VH[ZNE]
VK2 No Very long period (0.1 sps);
Temperature: Quanterra internal temperature
VK[IO] Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Temperature: Quanterra internal temperature; I: inside; O: outside; VK[IO]
VM[ZNE] or VM[UVW] Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Mass Position; STS-1/Gurlap convention: VM[ZNE]; STS-2 convention: VM[UVW];
VN[ZNE] Continuous Very long period (0.1 sps);
Seismic data: Accelerometer; standard convention: VN[ZNE]