Project Title

EarthScope SAGE Seismic Support

Summary

Event Number:
T-299-M
NSF Agreement

Program Director:
Dr. Marion Dierickx

ASC POC/Implementer:
Paul Sullivan / Jenny Cunningham

Principal Investigator(s)

Mr. Joseph R Pettit
joe.pettit@earthscope.org
EarthScope Consortium
Longmont, Colorado

Project Web Site:
https://www.earthscope.org/

Location

Supporting Stations: McMurdo Station
Research Locations: McMurdo and Field Locations

Description

The EarthScope Consortium is the new name for the restructured and consolidated Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Portable Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL) activities and University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO) activities. EarthScope’s Seismological Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience (SAGE) continues to provide support to National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs-funded projects requiring seismic detection and monitoring equipment and expertise. Support provided specific to Antarctic requirements include (1) equipment testing and provisioning in cold regions; (2) training researchers; (3) on-continent instrument troubleshooting, performance evaluation, and data quality control; (4) assisting researchers with data backup and archiving; and (5) field support, including installation and maintenance as required. The organization develops cold station deployment strategies, collaborates with vendors to develop and test equipment rated to -55°C (-67°F), builds and maintains an equipment pool, and sustains a cold station techniques repository.

Field Season Overview

The SAGE team will provide equipment and personnel support to several deep field and McMurdo area science events, including D-550-M Elosegui, G-060-M Winberry, I-169-M MacAyeal, and possibly others. The team will also conduct equipment testing near Castle Rock and on Observation Hill (local to McMurdo Station) and manage and maintain seismic equipment (nodes) at Crary Lab. One EarthScope engineer will be embedded in the G-079-E Polar Earth Observing Network (POLENET) team this year. This group will be based at the Antarctic Logistics & Expeditions (ALE) Union Glacier field camp. Another SAGE engineer will be embedded in the G-298-MS Shen team and assist with SAGE equipment preparation and work at McMurdo Station.

Deploying Team Members