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- For students: summer 2014 internships in Boulder
- 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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UNAVCO installs COCONet cGPS site CN05 in the Dominican Republic
February 18, 2014
Site CN05 at the Puna Cana International Airport in the Dominican Republic will provide insight into movement within the Puerto Rican Trench, the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean. CN05 was installed by UNAVCO in collaboration with the Oficina Nacional de Meteorología (ONAMET); Geomedición, Instrumentos y Sistemas; Holasa; and the Punta Cana Group of the Punta Cana International Airport.
Tracking subsidence in Houston
February 11, 2014
UNAVCO is supporting the design and construction of more than 40 new permanent GPS stations in the greater Houston metropolitan area. This network, called HoustoNET, will provide data for a ground subsidence study aimed at reducing flood risk.
Repairing GGN site HARV to keep up with calibration of global sea level measurements
February 5, 2014
UNAVCO field engineer Andrea Prantner visited the Harvest oil platform to repair infrastructure for GGN site HARV. HARV is used by NASA to calibrate the long-term satellite-based record of global sea level.
UNAVCO installs COCONet cGPS site in Aruba
October 16, 2013
By collaborating with the Meteorological Department of Aruba, UNAVCO engineers were able to install another cGPS site in the Caribbean.
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