HR: 1340h
AN: G33A-0910    [Abstracts]
TI: PBO Nucleus Project Status: Integration of 209 Existing GPS Stations into the Plate Boundary Observatory
AU: * Blume, F
EM: blume@unavco.org
AF: UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: Meertens, C
EM: meertens@unavco.org
AF: UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: Anderson, G
EM: anderson@unavco.org
AF: UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: Eriksson, S
EM: eriksson@unavco.org
AF: UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AU: Boyce, E
EM: boyce@unavco.org
AF: UNAVCO, 6350 Nautilus Dr., Boulder, CO 80301, United States
AB: Tectonic and earthquake research in the US has experienced a quiet revolution over the last decade precipitated by the recognition that slow-motion faulting events can both trigger and be triggered by regular earthquakes. Transient motion has now been found in essentially all tectonic environments, and the detection and analysis of such events is the first-order science target of the EarthScope Project. Because of this and a host of other fundamental tectonics questions that can be answered only with long-duration geodetic time series, the incipient 1100-station EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) network has been designed to leverage 445 existing continuous GPS stations whose measurements extend back over a decade. The irreplaceable recording history of these stations will accelerate EarthScope scientific return by providing the highest possible resolution. This resolution will be used to detect and understand transients, to determine the three-dimensional velocity field (particularly vertical motion), and to improve measurement precision by understanding the complex noise sources inherent in GPS. The PBO Nucleus project supports the operation, maintenance and hardware upgrades of a subset of the six western U.S. geodetic networks until they are subsumed by PBO. Uninterrupted data flow from these stations will effectively double the time-series length of PBO over the expected life of EarthScope, and has created, for the first time, a single GPS-based geodetic network in the US. The other existing sites remain in operation under support from non-NSF sources (e.g. the USGS), and EarthScope continues to benefit from their continued operation On the grounds of relevance to EarthScope science goals, geographic distribution and data quality, 209 of the 432 existing stations were selected as the nucleus upon which to build PBO. Conversion of these stations to a PBO-compatible mode of operation was begun under previous funding, and as a result data now flow directly to PBO archives and processing centers while maintenance, operations, and meta-data requirements are continue to be upgraded to PBO standards. At the end of this project all 209 stations will be fully incorporated into PBO, meeting all standards for new PBO construction including data communications and land use permits. Funds for operation of these stations have been included in planned budgets for PBO after the construction phase ends and PBO begins an operational phase in 2008. At this time work on the project is apporixmately 80% complete, with over 90% of the stations having been upgraded. The data from these stations serve a much larger audience than just the few people who work to keep them operating. This project is now collecting the data that will be used by the next generation of solid-earth researchers for at least two decades. Educational modules are being developed by a team of researchers, educators, and curriculum development professionals, and are being disseminated through regional and national workshops. An interactive website provides the newest developments in tectonics research to K-16 classrooms.
UR: http://www.unavco.org/exnet/exnet.html
DE: 1209 Tectonic deformation (6924)
DE: 1240 Satellite geodesy: results (6929, 7215, 7230, 7240)
DE: 1294 Instruments and techniques
SC: Geodesy [G]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting