Meeting of Experts: Discussion of National Science Foundation Division of Earth Sciences Workshop Report on "Future Seismic and Geodetic Facility Needs in the Geosciences"

美国国家科学院、工程院和医学院正在召开一次特别的“专家会议”，讨论国家科学基金会(NSF)最近由其地球科学部(EAR)支持的一个研讨会的报告，并就该报告提供个人的专家意见。讲习班收集了许多地球科学家对未来研究和设施需求的意见，以促进对地球过程的理解，这些过程产生了地球构造板块的运动、地震、重力、潮汐运动、冰盖运动和其他现象。由NSF支持的两个大型多用户设施目前为这种深地研究提供仪器、网络、数据和教育材料。由于这些设施的多年运营协议将于2018年到期，国家科学基金会正准备重新竞争一个或多个合作协议(S)，以支持具有这些能力的未来设施的管理和运营。通过多用户访问一系列技术、数据和网络，继续推进地球过程的研究，将增加广大研究界之间的科学合作机会，增加对地球行为变化的了解，并有助于为有关准备和适应这些变化的决策提供信息。此外，科学院召集的专家的独立意见有助于加强这些设施重新竞争的科学框架，从而支持关于地球深部过程、其结果和影响的关键研究。国家科学基金会(NSF)地球科学局的地球科学司目前支持两个大型多用户设施，即大地测量促进地球科学和地球范围(GAGE)设施和促进地球科学和地球范围的地震设施(SAGE)，这两个设施向广泛的研究界提供大地测量、地震和地球物理仪器、数据和数据管理、网络操作、教育和劳动力培训。SAGE和SAGE运营着全球和区域网络，这些网络包括持续运行的大地测量、地震和相关地球物理仪器；便携式地震、大地测量和相关地球物理仪器；用于存档、管理和分发地球物理数据的系统；它们还为各种受众开发教育和宣传材料。美国国家科学基金会正在准备重新竞争这类研究设施的合作协议(S)，并最近资助了一个研讨会，以确定未来地震和大地测量研究的关键科学问题和设施需求。这个项目正在召集一个具有固体地球科学背景和地震学、大地测量学、地球动力学、活动构造学、构造地质学和自然灾害方面专门知识的临时“专家会议”，讨论并就该研讨会产生的国家科学基金会的报告提供个人的专家意见。专家们特别注重社区在研讨会上提出的科学和研究问题；对支持这项研究至关重要的地震和大地测量设施的类型；以及这类研究和相关设施提供的教育、外联、培训和劳动力发展机会。

Non-technical SummaryThe National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the Academies) is convening an ad hoc "meeting of experts" to discuss and provide individual, expert opinions on a National Science Foundation (NSF) report from a recent workshop supported by NSF's Division of Earth Sciences (EAR). The workshop gathered input from numerous Earth scientists on future research and facility needs for advancing the understanding of Earth processes that generate movement of Earth's tectonic plates, earthquakes, gravity, tidal motions, the motion of ice sheets, and other phenomena. Two large multi-user facilities supported by NSF currently provide instrumentation, networks, data, and educational materials for this kind of deep-earth research. As the multi-year operational agreements for these facilities will expire in 2018, NSF is preparing to recompete one or more Cooperative Agreement(s) to support management and operation of future facilities with these kinds of capabilities. Continuing to advance research on Earth processes through multi-user access to a range of technologies, data, and networks will enhance opportunities for scientific collaboration among a broad research community, increase understanding of changes in the behavior of the Earth, and help to inform decision making regarding preparation for and adaptation to these changes. Additional, independent opinions from the experts convened by the Academies is helping to strengthen the scientific framework for the recompetition of these facilities and thus support key research on deep-earth processes, their results and impacts. Technical DescriptionThe Division of Earth Sciences in the Directorate for Geosciences at the National Science Foundation (NSF) currently supports two large multi-user facilities, the Geodesy Advancing Geosciences and EarthScope (GAGE) Facility and the Seismological Facilities for Advancement of Geosciences and EarthScope (SAGE), that provide geodetic, seismic, and geophysical instrumentation, data and data management, network operations, education, and workforce training to a broad research community. GAGE and SAGE operate global and regional networks of continuously operating geodetic, seismic, and related geophysical instrumentation; portable seismic, geodetic, and related geophysical instrumentation; systems for archiving, managing, and distributing geophysical data; they also develop education and outreach materials for various audiences. NSF is preparing to recompete Cooperative Agreement(s) for these kinds of research facilities and recently funded a workshop to identify key scientific questions and facility needs for future seismic and geodetic research. This project is bringing together an ad hoc "meeting of experts" with backgrounds in solid Earth science and particular expertise in seismology, geodesy, geodynamics, active tectonics, structural geology, and natural hazards to discuss and provide individual, expert opinions on the NSF-generated report from that workshop. The experts are focusing particularly upon science and research questions posed by the community at the workshop; the types of seismic and geodetic facilities that are essential to support this research; and education, outreach, training, and workforce development opportunities provided by such research and the associated facilities.