Exploring the Earth at High Resolution: The IRIS 2005 Program Plan

Earthscope Consortium Inc., Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

0004370 Simpson The Earth's interior remains a major scientific frontier holding the key to understanding the origin of the planet, its evolution through geologic time to its present structural state, as well as the internal forces driving plate dynamics, earthquakes, volcanism, and the geomagnetic field. Inaccessible to direct observation below a few kilometers (the limit of drilling and exposure by erosion) the Earth's crust, mantle, and core are primarily studied through their interaction with seismic waves. Recent developments in seismic sensor design, and the acquisition, transmission and storage of data have resulted in dramatic improvements in the resolving power of seismic imaging of the interior. Earthquake research, including rapid and accurate location and characterization of the earthquake source, its magnitude and a better understanding of the physical process involved, has also benefitted greatly from recent technical advances. In parallel with these advances, the science of seismology has also increased its ability to contribute to the monitoring of a ban on underground nuclear testing. The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) is a consortium of 96 U.S. universities and not-for-profit institutions with research and teaching programs in seismology. IRIS operates a national facility for the development, deployment, and operational support of modern digital seismic instrumentation to serve national goals in basic research in the earth sciences, in earthquake research, and in nuclear test ban monitoring. IRIS is organized in four major program elements: (1) The Global Seismographic Network (GSN) currently consists of a global deployment of 136 permanently installed very-broad-band, wide dynamic range digital seismic stations; (2) The Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (PASSCAL) manages a pool of portable seismometers which are made available to the seismology research community for scheduled regional and local scale studies and rapid response for earthquake aftershock studies; (3) The IRIS Data Management System (DMS) provides the national and international seismic research community with timely access to data from the GSN and PASSCAL. It archives and distributes the data from these programs and facilitates the standardization of data formats and data exchange protocols. The IRIS DMS is also a founding member of the international Federation of Digital Seismographic Networks and is designated as the FDSN's official data repository; and (4) The IRIS Education and Outreach (E&O) Program which enables audiences beyond seismologists to access and use seismological data and research for educational purposes, including teacher workshops, student internships, museum exhibits, educational materials, and programs for under-resourced schools. This award will provide support for the operation of the IRIS facility during the period 2001-2005. ***