Potential Shortcomings

This section aims to point out several shortcomings of the ASDF format and potential ways to deal with them where applicable.

Irregularly sampled data

The ASDF format in the initial definition can not deal with this and neither can most signal processing tools in use in seismology. If this ever become a serious issue, the format definition will have to be extended. One possibility would be to use 2D arrays for irregularly sampled components; one dimension denoting time, the other the data.

Finite Sources

This is mainly a limitation of the QuakeML format and thus should be dealt with therein. Currently this could be worked around by either specifying a finite source as a large number of point sources in a QuakeML file or by storing a more appropriate representation of finite sources in the auxiliary data section of ASDF.

Source Time Functions

This is mainly a limitation of the QuakeML format and thus should be dealt with therein. As of now this can be worked around by storing the source time functions in the auxiliary data section.