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HIGHLIGHTS

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The 2018 UNAVCO Science Workshop: Geodesy Advancing Geosciences and EarthScope: Applications for Science and Society

April 9, 2018

The 2018 UNAVCO Community Science Workshop was held 27-29 March 2018 in Broomfield, Colorado. The UNAVCO Science Workshop provides an opportunity for the UNAVCO community to share their latest science, UNAVCO staff to receive input from the scientific community, and for staff to update the scientific community on available resources. Over 100 university researchers gathered along with federal agency representatives, private industry, and facility staff.

Data Event Response to the April 5, 2018 M5.3 Earthquake 29km SW of Santa Cruz Is. (E end), California

April 6, 2018

UNAVCO is currently downloading high-rate 1-sps (1 Hz) and 5-sps (5 Hz) data from 12 GPS/GNSS stations operated by UNAVCO within 75 km of the epicenter for a 6-hour time window around the event (± 3 hours).

Data Event Response to the February 25, 2018 M 7.5 Earthquake 81km SW of Porgera, Papua New Guinea

March 12, 2018

UNAVCO has produced a fully processed 1-sps borehole strainmeter (BSM) dataset spanning the time period of this event, available from the PBO borehole strainmeter event response page.

NASA Global Geodetic Network Station Upgrade – Cachoeira Paulista, Brazil

March 2, 2018

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) operates a global network of over 60 permanent GNSS stations called the Global Geodetic Network (GGN). UNAVCO offers support to the GGN by providing data flow monitoring, troubleshooting, station installation and maintenance, and engineering services to help improve the capabilities and performance of station infrastructure.

SCIENCE SNAPSHOTS

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Probabilities of Large Earthquakes in Alaska

February 28, 2018

A crustal deformation model for the Western United States fits geodetic and geologic observations and shows where major changes in the crust are occurring. Such modeling is critical for earthquake hazard assessments and for understanding Earth processes.

Finding Faults with Geodetic and Geologic Data: Deformation Model for the Western U.S.

November 3, 2017

Analysis of past earthquakes shows that GPS/GNSS sites can provide high-rate, low-noise data to determine peak ground velocities for earthquakes of magnitude greater than 5.8. The geodetic-derived ground motion can help with earthquake early warning, emergency response and earthquake engineering.

Looking for Dark Matter Passing Through the GPS Constellation

November 21, 2017

The Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation can be used to detect dark matter. Sixteen years of ground-based GPS receiver observations were utilized to look for dark matter passing near Earth. Although no dark matter was detected, the results refine the properties of the universe, the accuracies of atomic clocks and future searches for dark matter.

Measuring Snow Accumulation in Antarctica with GPS Reflectometry

March 26, 2018

Snow accumulation along the Mercer and Whillans ice streams in West Antarctica was measured between 2007 and 2017 with an array of Global Positioning System (GPS) stations. The snow was measured using the signals from GPS satellites that reflect off of the snow surface into the bottom of the station antenna; an innovative and cost-effective method called GPS interferometric reflectometry (GPS-IR).

Seasonal Water Load Changes Can Trigger Earthquakes in California

September 18, 2017

GPS sites in California measure the changing water load due to rainfall, snowfall, groundwater, and drought. The recorded small vertical motions are shown to influence the state of stress on shallow faults. An analysis of fault failure conditions indicate that the rise and fall of the surface due to water loading and unloading creates a small amount of additional stress on the faults and can trigger small earthquakes.

Tsunami Hazards in Central America

November 8, 2017

Central America faces tsunami threats along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and at the shores of large lakes. Large earthquakes caused the most damaging tsunamis, however, landslides or volcanic eruptions can cause tsunamis around large lakes. Warning systems rely on seismic and geodetic observations. The Central American Tsunami Advisory Center (CATAC) will use these observations to help reduce losses.

Testing Geodetic Observations for Earthquake Early Warning in Alaska

August 31, 2017

An analysis of the 2016 Iniskin earthquake shows how GPS sites in Alaska may augment earthquake early warning. For a large magnitude earthquake that originates at a shallow depth, information from GPS can provide some warning before the shaking arrives in populated areas such as Anchorage. The geodetic data can rapidly and precisely define the earthquake properties to help with response and triggered hazards such as landslides and tsunamis.

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