Suitability of Low-Cost Three-Axis MEMS Accelerometers in Strong-Motion Seismology: Tests on the LIS331DLH (iPhone) Accelerometer

Brief Report| October 01, 2013 Suitability of Low‐Cost Three‐Axis MEMS Accelerometers in Strong‐Motion Seismology: Tests on the LIS331DLH (iPhone) Accelerometer Antonino D'Alessandro; Antonino D'Alessandro Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Centro Nazionale Terremoti, Rome, Italyantonino.dalessandro@ingv.itgiuseppe.danna@ingv.it Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Giuseppe D'Anna Giuseppe D'Anna Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Centro Nazionale Terremoti, Rome, Italyantonino.dalessandro@ingv.itgiuseppe.danna@ingv.it Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Antonino D'Alessandro Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Centro Nazionale Terremoti, Rome, Italyantonino.dalessandro@ingv.itgiuseppe.danna@ingv.it Giuseppe D'Anna Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Centro Nazionale Terremoti, Rome, Italyantonino.dalessandro@ingv.itgiuseppe.danna@ingv.it Publisher: Seismological Society of America First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-3573 Print ISSN: 0037-1106 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (2013) 103 (5): 2906–2913. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120120287 Article history First Online: 14 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Antonino D'Alessandro, Giuseppe D'Anna; Suitability of Low‐Cost Three‐Axis MEMS Accelerometers in Strong‐Motion Seismology: Tests on the LIS331DLH (iPhone) Accelerometer. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 2013;; 103 (5): 2906–2913. doi: https://doi.org/10.1785/0120120287 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyBulletin of the Seismological Society of America Search Advanced Search Abstract At the present time, micro‐electro‐mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers seem to provide adequate sensitivity, noise level, and dynamic range to be applicable to earthquake strong‐motion acquisition. The current common use of MEMS accelerometers in the modern mobile phone may provide a new means to easily enormously increase the number of observations when a strong earthquake occurs. However, before utilizing the signals recorded by a device, like a mobile phone equipped with a low‐cost three‐axis MEMS accelerometer for any scientific purpose, it is important to verify that the signal collected provides reliable records of ground motion. In this paper, we have tested the LIS331DLH MEMS accelerometer installed in the iPhone mobile phone using a vibrating table and the EpiSensor FBA (force‐balance accelerometer) ES‐T as the reference sensor. Our tests show that, in the typical frequency and amplitude range of interest of earthquake engineering (0.2–20 Hz and ⁠, in which is the standard gravity of acceleration, or ⁠), the LIS331DLH MEMS accelerometer has excellent frequency and phase response, comparable with that of some standard FBAs produced for strong‐motion seismology. The main drawback of the LIS331DLH MEMS accelerometer is its low sensitivity, due to the high level of instrumental self noise, and so it can be used effectively only to record moderate to strong earthquakes (ML>5) near the epicentral area. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.