MRI: Acquisition of 15 High-rate GPS Units for Developing a Broadband Earthquake Observation System in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

这笔重大研究仪器(MRI)计划赠款的资金将用于购买GPS设备，并在波多黎各和美属维尔京群岛安装高采样率(1赫兹)全球定位系统(GPS)网络。PI将在波多黎各地震台网和波多黎各强震计划运营的地震台上配置GPS站点。在偏远的外地地点安装网络将在联阿援助团的工程协助下完成。来自GPS网络的数据将记录长周期(分钟)的地震波，作为检测海啸地震的可能手段。宽带地震仪一般无法捕捉到超大地震(如2004年12月26日安达曼群岛-苏门答腊岛发生的MW9.2级地震)后长周期地面运动的全部带宽，因此仅使用地震数据很难快速估计大地震的真实震级。使用高精度的GPS观测，可以更准确地(地震发生后几分钟)更准确地估计大地震的真实震级(以及海啸潜力)。鉴于波多黎各位于北美和加勒比构造板块之间的断块上，并被一系列活动断裂包围和相交，地震事件屡见不鲜，该地区过去曾发生过大地震(Mw7.0级)和海啸(例如1946-8.0级伊斯帕尼奥拉地震)。拟议的全球定位系统网络将补充现有的波多黎各地震网络和波多黎各强震方案，这两个方案都在波多黎各大学马亚圭兹分校内运作。高速率GPS网络将使地球科学家能够记录长期和永久的地面运动信息，而这些信息是该地区现有地震仪无法处理的。建议的速度计-加速度计-GPS地震综合观测系统将提高对地震波传播、断层破裂过程的运动学和动力学、震前、同震和震后变形的认识，并可能有助于改进建筑和关键结构设计。全球定位系统/地震仪综合网络将支持波多黎各及周边地区的地震和海啸灾害研究和减灾工作。来自GPS观测的数据可以也将用于实时对流层水蒸气断层扫描，这可能有助于天气预报，包括改进的飓风轨迹预报。全球定位系统的原始数据将通过联安办事处档案免费提供。因此，从新构造学到大气科学再到土木工程的研究和应用，大量的教职员工和学生可能会从这些数据中受益。波多黎各马亚圭斯大学打算聘请一名普遍定期审议的学生参与该网络的发展。UPRM是非授予博士学位的机构，是一个EPSCoR(刺激竞争性研究的实验计划)和西班牙裔服务机构。

Funds from this Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) Program grant will support acquisition of GPS equipment and the installation of high sample rate (1 Hz) Global Positioning System (GPS) network in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The PI's will collocate GPS sites at seismic stations operated by the Puerto Rico Seismic Network and the Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program. Installation of the network at remote field sites will be accomplished with UNAVCO engineering assistance. Data from the GPS network will record long-period (minutes) seismic waves as a possible means for detecting tsunamigenic earthquakes. Broadband seismometers are generally unable to capture the full bandwidth of long period ground motions following very large earthquakes (e.g., the Dec. 26, 2004, Mw 9.2Andaman Islands-Sumatra Earthquake) and it is therefore difficult to rapidly estimate the true magnitude of megaquakes using only seismic data. Estimation of the true magnitude (and therefore tsunami potential) of large earthquakes may be determined more accurately in a timely manner (minutes after the quake) using high rate GPS observations. Given that Puerto Rico is situated on a fault block between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates and is surrounded and intersected by a series of active faults, seismic events are common and major earthquakes (Mw7.0) in the region have generated tsunamis in the past (e.g., 1946 Mw 8.0 Hispaniola earthquakes). The proposed GPS network will complement the existing Puerto Rico Seismic Network and the Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program, both operating within the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. The high-rate GPS network will enable geoscientists to record long-period and permanent ground motion information that cannot be addressed using current seismometers in the region. The proposed integrated velocitymeter-accelerometer-GPS earthquake observation system will advance knowledge of seismic wave propagation, the kinematics and dynamics of fault rupture process, pre-seismic, co-seismic and post-seismic deformation, and is also likely to be useful for improving building and critical structure designs. The integrated GPS/seismometer network will support earthquake and tsunami hazards research and mitigation in Puerto Rico and the surrounding region. Data from GPS observations can and will also be used for real time tropospheric water vapor tomography which can be useful for weather prediction, including improved hurricane track forecasting. Raw GPS data will be freely available through the UNAVCO archive. As a result, a large number of faculty and students can potentially benefit from the data for research and applications ranging from neotectonics to atmospheric science to civil engineering. The University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPRM) intend to engage a UPR student in the development of the network. UPRM is non-Ph.D.-granting, an EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) and Hispanic serving institution.