Training and Evaluation of a Variational Autoencoder for Seismic Station Data Analysis

Abstract

In this study, a variational autoencoder model is proposed to encode the geological, geophysical, and geographical data of seismic stations in Turkey. The model encodes various station-specific data, such as site frequency, surface lithology, and latitude-longitude, into a low-dimensional latent space, aiming to disentangle the generative factors of these data and improve their representation. This approach effectively represents the regional characteristics surrounding the station, enabling the disentanglement of station-related effects. Evaluations based on disentanglement and completeness scores indicate that the model successfully distinguishes station characteristics, such as the average shear wave velocity in the top 30 meters of the surface. The resulting station data encoder can provide additional information to deep learning models processing acceleration records, contributing to a better understanding and modeling of station effects in seismic analysis.