| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | July 11, 2011 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 13, 2012 |
| Award Number: | 1049609 |
| Award Instrument: | Fellowship Award |
| Program Manager: |
Lina Patino
lpatino@nsf.gov (703)292-5047 EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | August 1, 2011 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2013 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $85,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $170,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2012 = $85,000.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
Palisades NY US 10964-0000 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Palisades NY US 10964-0000 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | Geophysics |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001213DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
Dr. Danielle F. Sumy has been awarded an NSF Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a research and education plan at the US Geological Survey, Pasadena. This study will investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of earthquake and tremor activity along the Parkfield - Cholame segment of the San Andreas Fault. Tremor, a long duration low-frequency seismic signal, occurs at deeper depths than traditional earthquake activity and can illuminate the transition between the shallow, earthquake generating portions of the fault and the deeper stable-sliding regime. She will first locate earthquake and tremor signals from seismic waveform data recorded by the temporary Parkfield Experiment to Record MIcroseismicity and Tremor (PERMIT) array. The PERMIT array consists of thirteen densely-spaced seismometers centered directly over the zone of tremor activity, and augments existing seismic networks in this area. Accurate locations of earthquake and tremor activity will allow for an assessment of how much deformation is accommodated via tremor versus earthquake activity. Finally, these results will allow for a detailed investigation into the relationship between tremor and earthquakes, and whether tremor has a part in nucleating earthquake activity or vice versa. The aim of the experiment is to advance our understanding of how the shallow and deeper portions of the San Andreas Fault communicate with one another, and to shed light on the range of fault properties that generate earthquake and tremor activity at this site.
Since the first observations of tremor made almost a decade ago, the conditions necessary to generate tremor activity, and whether earthquakes and tremor are generated by the same processes, is hotly debated. Through this research, the entire range of fault behaviors from the earthquake-generating to silently-slipping portions of the San Andreas Fault, as well as the conditions necessary to generate and trigger earthquake and/or tremor activity, will be better understood. Outreach and educational activities associated with this research involve introducing the Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) to K-12 schools and teacher workshops. The QCN is widely distributing seismic sensors throughout K-12 schools and the general public to engage students in scientific research by directly involving them in data collection and interpretation. Additionally, her own research into the relationship between earthquakes and tremor will be introduced through an activity named "Earthquake Science Through Sound". As part of the activity, the entire spectrum of seismic activity from regular earthquakes to tremor to silent earthquakes will be introduced through musical instruments and through the conversion of seismograms to sound.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Parkfield Experiment to Record MIcroseismicity and Tremor (PERMIT) is a thirteen-station broadband array deployed between May 2010 and July 2011 near Cholame, California, to improve seismic network coverage south of the High Resolution Seismic Network (HRSN). The array is located along a portion of the San Andreas fault that transitions from locked to creeping northward along fault strike. The goal of the project is to explore the spatiotemporal relationships between low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) and local earthquake activity reported in the Northern California Seismic Network (NCSN) catalog and identified in the temporary array data. We identify LFEs from a catalog of tremor episodes automatically detected using a neural network approach. Previous studies have shown that tremor activity increased along this section of the San Andreas fault before and after the 2004 Parkfield earthquake, suggesting that stress interactions exist between earthquakes in the shallow, seismogenic zone and processes in the deeper transition zone. Understanding the range of fault slip behaviors, including how tremor and earthquakes interact, will provide critical information for assessing seismic hazard.
In coordination with the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC), I have brought the Quake-Catcher Network into K-12 schools. The Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) is an innovative and collaborative initiative to build the world’s largest, low-cost strong-motion seismic network to detect earthquake activity across the globe. QCN utilizes a distributed network of low-cost micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers connected to volunteer-hosted computers. When an accelerometer detects a seismic wave, the ‘triggered’ event information is sent in real-time through the Internet to a central server housed at Stanford University. If several ‘triggers’ are detected within a small region, an earthquake is detected and located within ~10-20 seconds of the seismic event. The overarching goal of QCN is to better understand earthquakes, as well as advance earthquake warning and response systems, by placing the sensors and data collection within the hands of the public. We have worked closely to present seismic information to K-12 educators through various teacher workshops, as well as have gone out personally to install the sensors.
Last Modified: 08/30/2013
Modified by: Danielle F Sumy
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