Seismic databases and processing tools currently available are mainly limited to classic three-component seismic recordings and cannot handle collocated multi-component, multi-disciplinary datasets easily. Further, these seismological databases depend on event-related data and are not able to manage state of the art continuous waveform data input as well. None of them allows for automated request of data available at seismic data centers or to share specific data to users outside one institute. Some seismic databases even depend on licensed database engines, which contradicts the open source character of most software packages used in seismology.

This study intends to provide a suitable answer to the deficiencies of existing seismic databases. SeisHub is a novel web-based database approach created for archiving, processing, and sharing geophysical data and meta data (data describing data), particularly adapted for seismic data. The implemented database prototype offers the full functionality of a native XML database combined with the versatility of a RESTful Web service. The XML database itself uses a standard relational database as back-end, which is currently tested with PostgreSQL (http://www.postgres.org) and SQLite (http://www.sqlite.org). This sophisticated structure allows for the usage of both worlds: on the one hand the power of the SQL for querying and manipulating data, and one the other hand the freedom to use any standard connected to XML, e.g. document conversion via XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) or resource validation via XSD (XML Schema). The actual resources and any additional services are available via fixed Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), where as the database back-end stores the original XML documents and all related indexed values. Indexes are generated using the XPath language and may be added at any time during runtime. This flexibility of the XML/SQL mixture introduced above enables the user to include parameters or results as well as meta data from additional or yet unknown monitoring techniques at any time. SeisHub also comprises features of a “classical seismic database” providing direct access to continuous seismic waveform data and associated meta data. Additionally, SeisHub offers various access protocols (HTTP/HTTPS, SFTP, SSH), an extensible plug-in system, user management, and a sophisticated web-based administration front-end. The SeisHub database is an open source project and the latest development release can be downloaded via the project home page http://www.seishub.org.

The SeisHub database has already been deployed as central database component within two scientific projects: Exupéry (http://www.exupery-vfrs.de), a mobile Volcano Fast Response System (VFRS), and BayernNetz, the seismological network of the Bavarian Seismological Service (Erdbebendienst Bayern; http://www.erdbeben-in-bayern.de).