| NSF Org: |
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | June 28, 2019 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | June 28, 2019 |
| Award Number: | 1920495 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Stephen Harlan
EAR Division Of Earth Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | July 1, 2019 |
| End Date: | June 30, 2022 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $49,068.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $49,068.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1500 COLLEGE PKWY ELKO NV US 89801-5032 (775)753-2317 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
1500 College Parkway Elko NV US 89801-5032 |
| 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): | Tectonics |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| 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
This project to use geology to assess the past size and frequency of occurrence of large earthquakes on the fault that produced the magnitude 7.3 1915 Pleasant Valley earthquake in Nevada forms the underpinnings of a collaborative program of science, education and outreach. It is through the cumulative study of individual earthquakes that the research community gains observations to understand earthquake ruptures and their role in active tectonic processes. The information gained in this project will be incorporated into the National Hazard Maps designed to reduce failure of building infrastructure and lifelines and loss of life in future earthquakes. The collaboration of three institutes is designed to provide the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to learn methods and concepts bearing on earthquake science in the framework of an active research project, lead to the development of online and classroom materials for education and research, create links between rural Nevada college campuses and the University of Nevada, Reno. Principal investigators at two of the three participating institutions are early career female researchers.
The study will consider one of the few large continental earthquakes that occurred in recent history and remove a significant void in our collective understanding of active tectonics in the Basin and Range and the Central Nevada Seismic Belt. This research will quantify the timing of past earthquakes and the average rate of slip on the fault that produced the Mw 7.3 1915 earthquake. The use of modern Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon, Optical Stimulated Luminescence, and Terrestrial Cosmogenic dating methods in conjunction with paleoearthquake trenching investigations proposed herein will yield observations to 1) assess the northward extent to which slip rate is elevated along the Central Nevada Seismic Belt within the interior of the Basin and Range, 2) to determine whether the past history of events in Pleasant Valley exhibits repeated clustering of events that is observed in the Central Nevada Seismic Belt to the south, 3) address whether or not strands of the 1915 rupture separated by a 4 kilometer step in trace exhibited the same behavior in past earthquakes, 4) compare geologic rates of slip during the late Pleistocene as compared to modern geodesy, 5) cross-check multiple dating techniques applied to the same sediments, and 6) develop quantitative constraints on the timing of alluvial fan deposition in Pleasant Valley as a possible tool for assessing fault slip rates on adjacent range fronts exhibiting the same geomorphic and soil characteristics. In sum, there are few continental normal fault earthquake ruptures on which to gather observations bearing on the characteristics of rupture and recurrence. This study will provide the basis to compare and contrast characteristics of the 1915 ruptures to those that occurred before, both on the 1915 fault and elsewhere around the globe. The data collected will place observational bounds on conceptual models of earthquake recurrence and the physics of earthquake processes that form the underpinnings of seismic hazard analysis.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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 National Science Foundation review panels evaluate proposals primary on Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts. The Intellectual merit portion of the proposal is straight forward - it is the science - advancing knowledge. Broader impacts can be confusing. The required Broader Impacts portion of proposals discusses how the research and the proposed planned activities will benefit society - beyond advancing knowledge. Outreach presents a powerful venue to disseminate science to the public and policy makers. As we see with topical environmental issues involving water, climate and resources, scientists need to revise current communication techniques to improve science literacy by reinventing the science education outreach paradigm. The purpose of this work is to identify new strategies to reach the public and individuals who do not identify as scientists.
We start by embedding a local earth sciences professor, familiar with the field area, as a PI. Benefits of this approach provide connections with local media, regional geological organizations, service clubs, land access, and sense of place. Her role is to manage the broader impacts, which includes producing instructional materials about the research. Core to these materials are short video-tutorials, filmed in the field, of CO-PIs and prominent regional geologists discussing the local geology, sampling techniques, and geochronology. The recordings are available to students and the public on the Great Basin Geology YouTube Channel. These tutorials are linked to interactive fieldtrip guides using Google Maps the public can download prior to a hike or a road trip so they can be viewed in areas with limited cellular service.
To increase accessibility to all people interested in the earth sciences, all instructional materials produced are Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act compliant; this means the videos are closed captioned, and figures and photographs have alt text and can be read by a screen reader.
The Pandemic resulted in rethinking traditional broader impact approaches such as field trips and workshops. Instead, PI-Meisner used radio interviews, public service announcements and National Public Radio sponsorship to inform the public about the research and geosciences.
An important aspect of this outreach approach is to build the instructional resources with a multi-disciplinary team of English, graphic communications, and education undergraduates. Students in these disciplines will lend their knowledge in communication, illustrations, video editing, and pedagogy while gaining experience in the sciences. This model extends science dialogue out of the laboratory and into the homes of non-scientists, community members and policy makers.
Last Modified: 11/16/2022
Modified by: Caroline B Meisner
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