Renewal of the Ocean Bottom Seismic Instrument Center at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project supports the operation of the Ocean Bottom Seismometer Instrument Center at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This facility provides instrumentation and personnel to acquire seismometer data throughout the world’s oceans to investigators funded by the National Science Foundation. Seismology is the primary tool that scientists use to investigate Earth's structure and dynamic processes, such as earthquakes and volcanism. About 70% of Earth's surface is covered by water, and many questions related to the nature of mid-ocean ridges, hot-spots, subduction zones, and continental margins can only be addressed by data acquired with ocean-bottom seismometers. This award supports the continued operation of the Ocean Bottom Seismometer Instrument Center at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The center will continue to provide state-of-the-art ocean-bottom seismometers that enable high-fidelity recording across the frequency spectrum extending from that of long-period surface waves to short-period body waves. A data metrics hub will provide quantitative and readily comprehended assessments of data quality, as well as data products such as seismometer orientations, compliance, and tilt corrections, that will speed up data analysis for all users. Key components of the center include standardization of instrumentation, enhanced component tracking, the maintenance of instrumentation at a high readiness state, and sustaining a surge capacity of technicians from other institutions to augment center personnel at sea where necessary. The facility maintains a website that provides details on ocean-bottom seismometer capabilities, instrument scheduling and availability, summaries of on-going, future, and completed experiments, and links to data acquired with center instrumentation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.