RAPID: Quantifying Post-Seismic Crustal Deformation in Southwestern Puerto Rico

这个RAPID项目打算在波多黎各地震序列发生后立即收集GPS数据，其中包括2020年1月7日的6.4级主震。这是自1918年以来该地区发生的最大地震。了解该地区构造和地震过程的关键方面对于将最近的地震群置于背景中至关重要。三十年来使用GPS的监测显示，波多黎各西南部正在独立于该岛其他地区移动。除了了解地震位移外，这项工作还将增加对地震序列前后岛屿变形的理解。该项目支持一个西班牙裔服务机构，并包括与这些地震事件有关的当地社区的重要外展。自2020年12月29日以来，波多黎各-维尔京群岛微板块西南部地区遭受了广泛的地震群袭击，2020年1月7日发生了几次5级地震和6.4级主震。该地区遭受了严重的破坏，人口流离失所，人们对持续的灾难感到焦虑。这个地区已经发现了几条断层。然而，最近发现了最可能的致病断层，即北Boqueron-Punta Montalva断层。测量断层对于评估该地区的地震和海啸风险至关重要。该项目将重新测量PRVI构造块中所有18个运动GPS站点，并安装6个临时实时GNSS站点。目标是量化波多黎各西南部地块的运动，并了解哪些断层可以容纳运动。收集到的大地测量数据将帮助研究人员估计最近的地震活动是如何与断层向陆地延伸的弹性应变积累相关联的。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This RAPID project intends to collect GPS data in the immediate aftermath of the Puerto Rico earthquake sequence that included the January 7, 2020 magnitude 6.4 mainshock. This is the largest earthquake recorded in the region since 1918. Understanding key aspects of the tectonic and seismic processes in the area will be critical to placing this recent earthquake swarm into context. Three decades of monitoring using GPS has revealed that the southwestern part of Puerto Rico is moving independently from the rest of the island. This work will add to the understanding of how the island is deforming before and after the earthquake sequence in addition to understanding earthquake displacements. The project supports a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and includes significant outreach to the local community related to these seismic events.Since December 29, 2020,the southwestern region of the Puerto Rico-Virgin Islands microplate has been hit by an extensive earthquake swarm, with several magnitude 5 earthquakes and a mainshock of 6.4 that occurred on January 7, 2020. The region has seen significant devestation, a displaced population and anxiety with the continued sequence. Several faults have been identified in the region. However, the most probable causative fault has been recently discovered, the North Boqueron-Punta Montalva fault. Instrumenting the fault is critical to assess seismic and tsunami risk in the region. This project will re-measure all 18 campaign GPS sites in the PRVI tectonic block and install 6 temporary real-time GNSS sites. The goal is to quantify the motion of the southwestern Puerto Rico block and understand which faults are accommodating motion. The geodetic data that is collected will help researchers to estimate how the recent seismic activity is associated with elastic strain accumulation on the landward extension of the fault.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.