Planning, Products and the Public: An EarthScope National Office at Oregon State University

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

The first university-based EarthScope National Office (ENO) has been established by the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS) and Department of Geosciences (GEO) at Oregon State University (OSU). EarthScope is a nationwide program to explore the structure and evolution of the North American continent and understand the physical processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It is funded by the National Science Foundation and is being constructed, operated, and maintained as a collaborative effort with UNAVCO, IRIS, and Stanford University, with contributions from the USGS, NASA, and several other national and international organizations. We know a great deal about the surface of the North American continent but have limited information about processes occurring deep below the surface. EarthScope employs advanced geophysical sensors and high-performance computing to measure signals generated by earthquakes and volcanic events. The project deploys hundreds of seismometers and Global Position System (GPS) devices to observe the inner-workings of the continent. Many of the instruments are permanently-based in the western United States (the Plate Boundary Observatory - PBO). Other instruments are being gradually moved across the country from west to east, acquiring the data needed to construct an image of the Earth beneath North America (USArray). These images retain a record of how the continent has evolved over millions of years, enabling scientists, students, and the public to appreciate how the shape, size, and internal structure of North America have changed over millions of years, and how the continent continues to change in ways that affect our lives. Rock samples are also being recovered by drilling deep into the San Andreas Fault Zone to better understand to understand conditions where earthquakes originate (San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth [SAFOD]). The ENO at OSU works closely with the NSF EarthScope Program Director as well as the EarthScope Steering and Education/Outreach committees to realize the vision of EarthScope as defined in numerous planning documents. The duties of the ENO are to (1) assist EarthScope partners, facilities and scientists in planning EarthScope projects, (2) develop data products that serve the broader EarthScope community, and (3) coordinate EarthScope education and outreach. PI Anne Trehu is the ENO Director. Co-PI Robert Lillie is Manager of EarthScope Education and Outreach. Co-PIs Paul Vincent and Gary Egbert and other scientists in COAS and GEO help to broaden the range of scientific expertise represented at the ENO at no direct cost to EarthScope. A post-doctoral research assistant and hourly student workers assist the PIs in science planning and educational outreach duties. Specific tasks undertaken by the ENO include: compiling and editing material for newsletters; preparing outreach materials for researchers, teachers, and interpretive professionals; organizing EarthScope data integration workshops; and training outreach professionals on incorporating EarthScope data into interpretive programs as well as scientists on presenting EarthScope results to the public. The ENO encourages organizations that support minorities underrepresented in Earth science to participate in all activities.