New Mexico Seismic Networks
1. New Mexico Tech Seismic Network
Rick Aster, Sue Bilek
(NMT EES Dept Contacts)
• Stations
within the
NMT
Seismic
Network
(red)
• Also shown
stations: ANMO,
SDCO (blue stars,
GSN stations)
• Not shown - 6
strong motion
sites within
Albuquerque area
-- USGS
NMT Network Statistics
• 19 stations
– Primarily short period (1 Hz) vertical component
instruments
– 2 3-component stations also running (only 1
currently operational)
– Data telemetered via FM radio to the NMT
Seismological Observatory
– Stored using Earthworm system, sent to IRIS
DMC (SC network)
Current Network Coverage
• Focused on 2 areas
– SE New Mexico
• Monitoring of seismicity near the Waste Isolation Pilot
Plant (WIPP)
• Some funding provided by DOE/subcontractor to
maintain this SE network
– Socorro Seismic Anomaly
• Region with ~50% of state’s seismic activity
• In region of the Socorro Magma Body, small mid-crustal
magma feature at 19 km depth
• No long-term funding to support this network
• Current funding to operate 2 temporary broad-band
stations in SSA region (mid 2005-2006)
NM
Seismicity
• 1962-2004
• Sanford catalog
(blue, magnitude >
2 thru 1998) +
more recent data
(red, magnitude:
-1 to 4.6)
• Most events
concentrated in
SSA
Data
October 30, 2005 (UTC) felt earthquake
swarm located approximately 5.5 km west of
Socorro, included ~300 aftershocks. Largest
event was magnitude 2.4.
(www.ees.nmt.edu/Geop/recentquakes.html)
New Efforts In SSA region
•
Earthquake Locations
(9/2005 - 1/2007)
– Temporary
installation of 2
new broadband
seismographs to fill
gaps in local
seismic network
coverage above
the SMB
(especially
important for depth
resolution).
NM State “Wish List”
• 2-3 additional broadband stations
– Targeted areas around northern NM, southern NM
where there are gaps in current network coverage
– Tie in to Los Alamos Seismic Network
• Funds to create a dedicated “seismic
observatory manager” for the state
– Help coordinate all parts of the NM seismic
networks (NMT, LANL, USGS)
– Earthquake planning within DPS
2. Los Alamos Seismic Network
In operation since September, 1973
7 stations (16 channels)
•
1 digital broadband (co-located with a 3component short period seismometer)
•
5 3-component short period seismometers
•
2 vertical-only short period seismometers
6 (forensic) strong ground motion
detectors located at key lab sites
Current contacts:
Peter Roberts, Jim TenCate,
Leigh House (on leave)
Earth and Environmental
Sciences, Geophysics
Group, LANL
2 detection programs running concurrently:
• X-detect (486 running DOS, yes, really!)
• Earthworm 6.3 on Win XP
Station Location Maps
Site photos
More site photos
M = 2.2, Caja del Rio 1 August 2006
Issues
• Fires
• Funding
• Vandalism
• Lab sites
• Security