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Earthquake Monitoring Capabilities in Ohio: The Evolution of a Modern State Seismic Network in the Midwest USA

Description: 

Ohio has a long history of earthquake activity with historical records dating back to the founding of the United States. However, continuous instrumental recording of earthquakes did not begin until 1999. Since then, the Ohio Seismic Network (OhioSeis) has undergone several eras of configuration. Ohio sits between the Grenville Front Tectonic Zone, Rome Trough, and the New Madrid Seismic Zone, both regions with historical damaging earthquakes that have affected and still do affect the state. Naturally occurring earthquakes in Ohio are frequent (5–10 per month) but typically of lower magnitude. However, several M4–M5+ earthquakes have struck Ohio in the past several decades, causing damage. Future earthquakes in the region pose threats to transportation corridors, communications infrastructure, and nuclear power plants. More recently, oil-and-gas production, fracking, and wastewater injection within the state have increased demand for high-quality and timely seismic monitoring for public safety and operator regulation. Historically, Ohio was not considered an area in need of real-time seismic monitoring. However, increasing requirements for rapid post-earthquake solutions present challenges to efficient monitoring of these events. Currently, OhioSeis employs a small number of staff (3) that manages a statewide, complex network. Developing and fostering relationships with outside organizations not normally familiar to state geological surveys in the eastern U.S., such as IRIS, USGS, ASL, ISTI, LDEO, and others, has been critical to our success. Ohio has increased its seismic monitoring capability dramatically in the past seven years. OhioSeis transitioned from an educational seismic network to a research-quality network in 2016 using AQMS for managing 30-plus stations of 3-component broadband seismometers in surface and posthole vaults. Data are sent in real-time to the IRIS DMC and metadata are tracked with the Station Information System (SIS). Owing to the hard work of a small but dedicated staff, more research on Midwest seismicity is being published using data from OhioSeis stations.

Session: Network Seismology: Recent Developments, Challenges and Lessons Learned [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/20/2023

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Jeffrey L. Fox

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors