RAPID: Examining the relation between trace gas emissions and seismic activity of the 2019 Searles Valley Earthquake

该项目的重点是测量与开放的气体迁移路径的地震活动有关的痕量气体排放以及地球内部深层地下震源的存在。地震活动可以沿着断层造成广泛的碳氢化合物渗漏，因为由此产生的运动创造或重新打开了运移路径。将在死亡谷、Panamint谷、Searles谷和玫瑰谷测量二氧化碳(CO2)和二氧化硫(SO2)以及其他痕量气体和相关大气数据，2019年7月5日发生的瑟尔斯谷地震的余震导致这些气体排放增加。微量气体测量将使用AMOG(汽车痕量气体)测量器，这是一种移动大气化学、太阳光谱和气象学实验室，在车辆中以高达高速公路的速度收集数据，并使用实时数据集成和可视化来实现自适应测量，在梯度较强的地方减速，并收集目标大气样本。通过这项研究将解决的假设是：(1)最近的7.1级西尔勒斯谷地震开辟了天然气运移通道，导致沿活动断裂的痕量地气排放增加。在强烈和频繁的余震期间，这些排放量将保持较高水平，并随着时间的推移而减少。(2)在一段时间(月)后，排放量将恢复到准基线。(3)发射源位置对应于断层损伤的地表表现形式(可从震源移位)。(4)在热红外遥感数据中可探测到的地球流体流动(气体排放)的断层损害区，存在热特征。(5)物源为火山岩。这项研究中收集的排放数据可能会对附近的公园和城市土地产生空气质量影响。该项目由快速反应研究补助金(RAPID)计划支持，因为迫切需要在地震(2019年7月5日发生)后和震源枯竭前的余震期间尽快测量痕量气体排放。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project is focused on making measurements of trace gas emissions related to seismic activity from open gas migration pathways and the presence of deep subsurface sources within the Earth. Seismic activity can create extensive hydrocarbon seepage along faults, as the resultant motion creates or re-opens migration pathways. Measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) will be made, along with measurements of other trace gases and related atmospheric data, in Death Valley, Panamint Valley, Searles Valley, and Rose Valley where aftershocks from the Searles Valley earthquake that occurred on July 5, 2019 are leading to elevated emissions of these gases.Trace gas measurements will be made using the AMOG (AutoMObile trace Gas) Surveyor, a mobile atmospheric chemistry, solar spectroscopy, and meteorology lab in a vehicle that collects data at up to highway speed and uses real-time data integration and visualization to enable adaptive surveying, slowing where gradients are strong, and collecting targeted atmospheric samples. The hypotheses that will be addressed through this research are: (1) The recent M7.1 Searles Valley earthquake opened gas migration pathways that led to increased trace geo-gas emissions along activated faults. These emissions will remain elevated during the period of intense and frequent aftershocks, decreasing with time afterwards (2) After a period of time (months), emissions will return to quasi-baseline. (3) Emission source locations correspond to surface expressions of fault damage (that may be displaced from seismic sources). (4) There are thermal signature at areas of fault damage where there is geofluid flows (gas emission) that are detectable in thermal infrared remote sensing data. (5) The source is volcanic in origin. The emission data collected in this research may have air quality implications for nearby parks and urban lands.This project is supported through the Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) program because of the urgent need to measure trace gas emissions as soon as possible after the earthquake (that occurred on July 5, 2019) and during the aftershock period before sources deplete.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.