imaging project A B
Getting equipment ready:
salton seismic
In 2011 seismologists, geologists, and college students are
preparing a network of 40 seismometers that extend across
southernmost California from the Pacific Ocean to the
Colorado River. It is part of a three-year scientific study to
examine the crust and deeper layers of the Earth beneath
the region. We had begun planning this experiment even
before the Mexicali earthquake this spring, but that
earthquake is a wake-up call that lends new urgency to our
investigations.
What does the network do? The portable seismic
monitoring systems detect extremely small movements of the
earth - far too small for humans to feel - generated by distant
earthquakes. The seismic stations will remain in place for two
years and will record ground motion continuously during that
time. Instruments will be checked and the data collected every
three to six months during the time they are in the ground.
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pla cific
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Proposed locations for seismometers
Each yellow star is the target location of a seismometer
that will remain in the ground for one to two years.
Why are we doing this? Southern California consists of
two of Earth’s plates (the Pacific and North American plates)
moving past each other. The boundary between the two plates
in the Salton Trough is the San Andreas fault and the Imperial
fault. Here the plate boundary geometry pulls the continent
apart creating a valley and even an ocean in the Gulf of
California. Volcanoes and underground magma in these areas
create geothermal energy and hot springs.
Rupture of the southern section of the San Andreas Fault is the
greatest natural hazard that California will face in the near
future. With an estimated magnitude between 7.2 and 8.1, such
an event would result in violent shaking, loss of life, and
disruption of lifelines. Our project, funded by the National
Science Foundation, is to understand through "seismic
imaging" the structure of the Earth surrounding the San
Andreas Fault, including the sedimentary basins on which
cities are built.
Am North
e above ground to allow access during the experiment. A
plat rican
e times the ground motions we record, and the location is
We are seeking permits, from private landowners and from
managers of public lands, to place our seismic recorders in quiet
locations where we will not disturb willdlife or cultural artifacts,
and will not interfere with public uses of State or Federal lands.
JJ-MF-DJ 2007 / SK 2010
(C)
C on top. Once the sensor is oriented
Field Installations
Signals from distant earthquakes are extremely faint, so
stations are placed as far from “cultural” noise (traffic,
railroads, farm equipment, etc.) as possible. We also look
for sites where the seismometer can be placed directly on
bedrock, preferably with about 3 feet of soil cover, and
where there is little danger of flooding or groundwater
infiltration. It is important that the whole vault assembly
be watertight. To protect against vandalism, we chhose
sites away from public traffic.
Typical finished installation of a seismic
recorder.
The seismometer is placed below ground (see above),
and the box of electronic recording equipment protrudes
solar panel provides power, a GPS antenna precisely
fenced to protect the equipment from wildlife.
(A) 30-gallon drum set in hole. The
ideal site has 3 feet of soil above
solid bedrock.
(B) Preparation for field installation
includes a comprehensive “huddle”
test where all of the equipment is
operated for a period of one to two
days to assure that it has survived
the shipment to El Centro.
(C) Seismic sensor in drum with rock
correctly (within 1-2° of true north,
not magnetic north) and leveled, a
close-fitting insulating container is
placed over it to help minimize rap-
id temperature swings in the vault.
The rock is on top of the insulating
container to hold it down.
Seismic Imaging
Seismic imaging uses seismic waves to probe the earth
beneath the stations. One method, called “seismic
tomography”, is like a CAT scan or ultrasound imaging of
the human body. Seismologists also use methods similar
to those used in oil and gas exploration that, together with
tomography, will give a comprehensive picture of hidden
structures deep in the earth’s crust beneath southernmost
California.
Data Acquisition
Electronic recording equipment is housed in a box beside
the seismometer vault. Data are written to memory cards
(as used in digital cameras, for example) with several
months recording capacity. A GPS antenna provides
millisecond timing accuracy to the recording unit, as well
as accurate station coordinates. Once installed, the stations
are serviced at 3 to 6 month intervals and memory disks
are swapped out and returned to El Centro for copying.
For more information about this
National Science Foundation project,
please contact:
Prof. Simon Klemperer, Stanford University
Phone: 650-723-8214
Email: sklemp@stanford.edu
salton seismic
imaging project