HR: 14:50h
AN: U53B-03    [Abstracts]
TI: AfricaArray: Building science capacity and improving seismic networks in Africa
AU: * Nyblade, A
EM: andy@geosc.psu.edu
AF: Penn State University, Department of Geosciences, University Park, PA 16802, United States
AU: Dirks, P
EM: dirksp@geosciences.wits.ac.za
AF: The University of the Witwatersrand, School of Geosciences, Johannesburg, South Africa
AU: Graham, G
EM: Gerhardg@geoscience.org.za
AF: Council for Geoscience, 280 Pretoria Street, Pretoria, South Africa
AB: AfricaArray is a long-term initiative to promote coupled training and research programs in geophysics for building and maintaining a scientific workforce for Africa's natural resource sector. The main goals of AfricaArray are to: 1) maintain and develop further geophysical training programs in Africa, in response to industry, government and university needs, 2) promote geophysical research in Africa, and establish an Africa-to-Africa research support system, 3) obtain geophysical data, through a network of shared observatories, to study scientific targets of economic and societal interest, as well as fundamental geological processes shaping the African continent. AfricaArray is supported by a public-private partnership consisting of many government organizations in the US and Africa, and mining and oil companies. AfricaArray has been built on existing programs and expertise within partner institutions and is being implemented in three phases over ten years. During Phase 1 (1/2005 - 12/2007), the educational program at the University of the Witwatersrand is being expanded and improved to provide B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degree training in geophysics for students from across Africa. Seismic stations are being installed or upgraded in participating countries to form a network of shared scientific observatories, and technical personnel are being trained to operate and maintain the seismic equipment. Data from the seismic stations are being used for student thesis research projects, and the seismic network is helping to catalyze scientific community building through educational and research collaborations. During subsequent phases (2007-2014), the in-situ education and research program will grow to provide B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D. training for many more African students, the network of shared scientific observatories will be expanded, temporary networks of seismic stations will be installed, sustainable centers of excellence in geophysics will be established at other African universities, additional sensors (i.e., GPS, meteorological) will be installed at the seismic stations. AfricaArray also has developed a US education program aimed at recruiting students from physics, math, engineering and earth science programs at historically black colleges and universities into graduate programs in geophysics at US universities.
DE: 0810 Post-secondary education
DE: 0850 Geoscience education research
DE: 0855 Diversity
DE: 7294 Seismic instruments and networks (0935, 3025)
DE: 7299 General or miscellaneous
SC: Union [U]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly