The AdriaArray Temporary Broadband Network in Romania: Enhancing Seismic Monitoring and Data Quality

The AdriaArray initiative is a broad international collaborative effort to investigate the dynamic deformation of the Adriatic Plate and its interactions with surrounding regions. The main component of this effort is the AdriaArray Seismic Network, which provides an unprecedented dataset for studying the complex geodynamic processes that drive seismic activity by gathering recordings from both permanent and temporary broadband seismic stations deployed across the Mediterranean area. The National Institute for Earth Physics (NIEP), Romania, contributes to AdriaArray through the deployment, operation, and maintenance of seismic stations, as well as data management, technical guidance, and research to better understand the geodynamics of this complex region. NIEP participated in the deployment of 44 temporary broadband stations, provided by several European institutions. The temporary stations complemented the permanent stations of the Romanian Seismic Network, enhancing station coverage and seismic monitoring resolution, particularly in notable tectonic areas such as Vrancea, one of Europe’s most seismically active regions. Vrancea is well‑known for its large‑magnitude intermediate‑depth earthquakes (M > 7.0), generated by the descent of a lithospheric slab beneath the southeastern Carpathians, making it a crucial area for many research topics. This study presents a comprehensive overview of AdriaArray activities in Romania, including details on sites and seismic equipment. We evaluate the quality of the recorded data to ensure the reliability of seismic observations. This includes near‑real time data flow monitoring, data availability analysis, ambient noise characteristics, and sensor orientation assessment to confirm the accuracy of the recordings. High‑quality seismic data are essential for refining seismic monitoring techniques and enhancing automated processing methods. The results of this study support future research aimed at improving our understanding of seismic activity in Romania, lithospheric structure, tectonic evolution, and earthquake dynamics, while also contributing to the broader goal of the AdriaArray initiative in advancing geophysical research and seismic hazard assessment across the Adriatic region and beyond.