Past exam of the physics of the Earth as a Planet course of the University of Cambridge / 2014 / Paper 1 / 1 / e / Solution

Nearby events observed at the same station share most of their propagation path, so common model and station errors cancel in differential arrival times. Waveform cross-correlation can also determine their relative timing more precisely than separate onset picks. Double-difference earthquake relocation fitsalong with the difference in origin times. The relative cluster geometry can be precise while the entire cluster remains displaced. Absolute anchoring still needs a well-calibrated velocity model or a source of known position.^[ref]