The Seismic Analysis Code
A Primer and User's Guide

The first comprehensive guide to SAC, complete with introductory materials and detailed descriptions of its most advanced features.

George Helffrich (Author), James Wookey (Author), Ian Bastow (Author)

9781107045453, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 September 2013

183 pages, 32 b/w illus. 18 colour illus. 7 tables
25.2 x 19.2 x 1.4 cm, 0.6 kg

The Seismic Analysis Code (SAC) is one of the most widely used analysis packages for regional and teleseismic seismic data. For the first time, this book provides users at introductory and advanced levels with a complete guide to SAC. It leads new users of SAC through the steps of learning basic commands, describes the SAC processing philosophy, and presents its macro language in full, supported throughout with example inputs and outputs from SAC. For more experienced practitioners, the book describes SAC's many hidden features, including advanced graphics aspects, its file structure, how to write independent programs to access and create files, and much more. Tutorial exercises engage users with newly acquired skills, providing data and code to implement the standard methods of teleseismic shear-wave splitting and receiver function analysis. Methodical and authoritative, this is a key resource for researchers and graduate students in global seismology, earthquake seismology and geophysics.

Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. SAC data format
3. SAC processing philosophy
4. Basic SAC commands
5. SAC macros
6. Accessing SAC functionality and data from external programs
7. Graphical data annotation
8. Array data handling
9. Spectral estimation in SAC
10. 3D data in SAC
11. Implementation of common processing methodologies using SAC
Appendix A. Alphabetical list of SAC commands
Appendix B. Keyword in context for SAC command descriptions
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Computer science [UY], Earth sciences [RB], Earth sciences, geography, environment, planning [R]