U N A V C O , A N O N - P R O F I T U N I V E R S I T Y - G O V E R N E D C O N S O R T I U M , F A C I L I T A T E S G E O S C I E N C E R E S E A R C H A N D E D U C A T I O N U S I N G G E O D E S Y.
We challenge ourselves to transform human understanding of the changing Earth by enabling the integration of innovative technologies, open geodetic observations, and research, from pole to pole.
WHAT'S HOT
view all- Event Response: Mw 8.2 Earthquake 95km NW of Iquique, Chile
- Animation: GPS and Earthquake Early Warning.
- New Video: UNAVCO (Explained in 3 Minutes).
- New Video: Mirror-image Subduction Settings; What GPS can tell us about future earthquakes.
- Notice to UNAVCO GPS Data Product Users: File Format Update on March 25th 2013.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Event Response:
Mw 8.2 Earthquake 95km NW of Iquique, Chile
April 3, 2014
A magnitude Mw 8.2 earthquake ruptured the subduction zone off the coast of northern Chile at 11:46:46 p.m. GMT on April 1, 2014. The event occurred in the "Iquique seismic gap", a segment of the Nazca-South American subduction zone that had not experienced a significant event since 1877.
Data Event Response to the 28 March 2014 Mw 5.1 Earthquake 2 km East of La Habra, California
April 9, 2014
A Mw 5.1 earthquake with its epicenter located 2 km east of La Habra, California, occurred at 9:09 p.m. on March 28, 2014 at a depth of 7.5 km. As a response, UNAVCO is downloading high-rate GPS data from Plate Boundary Observatory stations near the epicenter of the event. PBO borehole strainmeter data are also available.
Data Event Response to the 10 March 2014 Mw 6.8 Earthquake 77 km WNW of Ferndale, California
April 9, 2014
A Mw 6.9 earthquake occurred on March 10, 2014, off the coast of northern California. As a response, UNAVCO downloaded high-rate GPS data from Plate Boundary Observatory stations within 500 km of the epicenter of the event. PBO borehole strainmeter data are also available.
GSAC Software Makes the Grand Tour In Europe
March 20, 2014
UNAVCO’s Geodesy Seamless Archive Centers (GSAC) software system enables efficient searches for geodesy data at any number of independent data centers. Current GSAC-enabled data centers include sites in Portugal, Italy, Greece, Iceland, France, and Belgium.
SCIENCE SNAPSHOTS
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Seismic Hazards in Azerbaijan Informed by Geodesy
November 12, 2013
Azerbaijan encompasses the eastern Kura basin and the Caucasus Mountains rise on its northern border. Recent geodetic observations suggest a significant strain rate across the Kura basin that may signify a greater seismic risk for Azerbaijan's largest city, Baku.
Anticipating and Monitoring a Large Earthquake in Costa Rica
January 17, 2014
On 5 September 2012, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred beneath the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, where geophysicists had anticipated a possible event and established a strategic observational network before 2012. The observations delineate the earthquake rupture area and refine seismic risk.
Detecting Volcanic Plumes with GPS Data
July 26, 2013
GPS data were used to detect volcanic plumes from eruptions of Mount Redoubt in Alaska. Unlike past research, this study relied on the signal strength, or signal to noise ratio (SNR), data. The new method is powerful because simple models can be used to quickly model SNR data and the SNR data are not sensitive to water vapor.
Antarctic Ice Cliff Eroding Fast Due to Climate Change
October 4, 2013
Imaging and other measurements over two years shows that an ice cliff in coastal Antarctica is eroding much faster than in the past 10,000 years due to recent climate changes. The Antarctic landscape is being transformed much faster than natural processes, even though the continent has a relatively small human footprint.
Sea Level Rise on the U.S. Gulf Coast
February 6, 2013
The Mississippi Delta along the Gulf Coast of the United States is a major site of sediment deposition from the Mississippi River and conversely a major site of wetland loss from rising seas and subsidence. There is debate about how much and when the delta has risen or fallen due to deposition, subsidence, sea level change, and erosion.
UNAVCO's Strainmeters Record the Arrival of Tsunamis on the west coast of North America
August 15, 2012
UNAVCO’s Plate Boundary Observatory includes 75 borehole strainmeters installed predominantly throughout the west coast of North America. Strainmeters work by detecting changes in the size of the borehole, and are sensitive enough to detect a 4 picometer change (smaller than the width of a hydrogen atom). Because they are so sensitive, they pick up every thump and shake in their vicinity, including the arrival of a tsunami wave from across the ocean.
Quality Assessment: A new technique to assess and monitor long-term quality of GPS data
March 7, 2013
Geoff Blewitt and Corne Kreemer of UNR’s Geodetic Laboratory have devised a new processing-based technique for evaluating site quality on an ongoing basis.
2014