Commentary on Paper by Matoza et al. (2021): Catalog Revision to a Common Depth Datum

Abstract We present a revision and update to the high‐precision relocated seismicity catalog presented by Matoza et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ea001253 ) for the Island of Hawai'i from 1986 to 2018. The starting catalog of hypocenters (input data), on which the study by Matoza et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ea001253 ) was based, contained an inconsistent depth datum for events before and after 00:00 UT, 29 December 2017. Here we present a recomputed version of the catalog using a consistent reference depth. We corrected the starting catalog to a common depth datum (all events now use the model depth reference datum) and re‐ran the entire workflow as described in the paper by Matoza et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ea001253 ). This included pairing, cross‐correlating, and relocating all seismic events again based on the updated starting catalog. We consider 347,446 events representing 32 years of seismicity on and around the island from 1986 to 2018. We now successfully relocate 299,966 (86%) events using ∼2.53 billion differential times ( P and S ) from ∼194 million similar‐event pairs, derived from cross‐correlations between ∼887 million event pairs total, a significant increase from our original analysis. The resolution of fine‐scale seismicity features is improved and the median depth of shallow events (<5 km) under Kaluapele (Kīlauea summit caldera) in 2018 is shifted 926 m deeper as a result of the change. The interpretations and other major conclusions in the paper by Matoza et al. (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020ea001253 ) are unchanged.