The University of Utah Seismograph Stations: A Multifaceted Regional Earthquake Center

Session: Regional Earthquake Centers: Highlights and Challenges [Poster]
Type: Poster
Date: 4/28/2020
Time: 08:00 AM
Room: Ballroom
Description: 

The University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) operates a regional earthquake center responsible for monitoring seismic events (natural and induced) in both the Utah and Yellowstone regions. Our primary mission is to reduce the risk from tectonic earthquakes. However, as the network has grown and advanced, we have expanded efforts aimed at monitoring induced seismicity—related to geothermal production and underground mining—and discrimination of seismic sources. As is typical of many regional earthquake centers, UUSS operates a network of seismograph stations equipped with digitally-telemetered broadband, strong-motion and short-period sensors and analog-telemetered short-period sensors. Somewhat unusual for a regional network, UUSS also operates a network of three infrasonic arrays (with three to be added) and incorporates borehole geophones located in Yellowstone and Utah into operations. Additionally, there is a borehole in central Utah with an intelligent Distributed Acoustic Sensor (iDAS) cemented into the casing (this data is not incorporated into routine operations). In network operations, the primary objectives are network and computer system health and uptime. With the integrated network and changes to processing software, much effort is expended on keeping up with increasing data flow, software changes and metadata updates. Here, we highlight: (1) how the network has evolved to improve monitoring capabilities for both natural and induced seismic events, (2) recent research activities related to local and induced earthquakes, (3) ongoing work to improve M_w estimations for small earthquakes and (4) seismic event detection research.

Presenting Author: Kristine L. Pankow

Authors