ObsPy - Python Toolbox for Seismologists

Overview

The objective of ObsPy is to provide a Python toolbox for seismology that simplifies the usage of Python programming/scripting for seismologists.

In ObsPy basic and essential seismological routines are implemented and ready to use:

  • One can read (and write) Data Only SEED (MiniSEED) and Data Less SEED, XML-SEED, GSE2 and SAC file formats into Python variables.
  • By providing direct access to the actual time series powerful numeric array-programming modules like NumPy or SciPy can be used.
  • Results may be visualised using libraries such as matplotlib (2D) or MayaVi (3D).
  • For preprocessing data ObsPy provides routines for filtering, instrument simulation, triggering and plotting.
  • There is also support to retrieve data from ArcLink (a distributed data request protocol for accessing archived waveform data) or a SeisHub database.


But why use Python anyway?

  • Python offers all features of a fully-fledged programming language and includes a large collection of open-source scientific modules.
  • It is free open source software and platform independent.
  • Python's popularity is rapidly growing, also in the seismological community. Just recently the Massachusetts Institute of Technology chose Python as the language to be taught to undergraduate Computer Science and Engineering students.
  • The intuitive syntax of Python as well as the excellent capabilities for accessing compiled C and Fortran functions enable seismologists to quickly develop powerful and efficient software.


Further details as well as documentation and tutorials for ObsPy can be found at http://www.obspy.org.