Seafloor Strain Patterns: Measurement System Validation

这是一项对测量海底应变累积模式的系统进行海上验证的奖项，该系统在几公里的距离内以厘米精度测量。该系统特别适用于海脊的研究，并将有助于描述海底从间歇性运动向整个板块的特征或多或少稳定的运动过渡的方式。该方法涉及在海底安放基准，在海底可以非常准确地放置应答器。应答器是从拖车上询问的，拖车上还安装了高精度声速计，将旅行时间转换为距离。大多数设备都是用其他基金(非NSF)建造的；该奖项授予资金，用于在加利福尼亚州南部的圣尼古拉斯盆地进行为期两周的实验，作为该设备的第一次海上测试。这是一项重要的实验，因为它将测试一种在海底进行大地测量的新技术；这种技术的发展是了解海底构造和演化的重要一步。

This is an award to carry an at sea validation of a system for measuring patterns of seafloor strain accumulation with centimeter accuracy over distances of kilometers. The system is particularly suitable to ridge crest studies and will help describe the manner in which the seafloor makes the transition from episodic motion to the more or less steady state motion that is characteristic of the entire plate. The method involves the emplacement of benchmarks on the seafloor on which transponders can be placed with great accuracy. The transponders are interrogated from a towed vehicle to which is also mounted a high accuracy sound velocity meter to convert travel times to distances. Most of the equipment has been built with other funds (non-NSF); and this award grants funds for a two week experiment in the San Nicolas Basin off S. California as the first seagoing test of the apparatus. This is an important experiment because it will test a new technique for making geodetic measurements on the sea floor; the development of such techniques are an important step in understanding sea floor tectonics and evolution.