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

该RAPID项目旨在收集波多黎各地震序列（包括2020年1月7日的6.4级主震）发生后的GPS数据。这是该地区自1918年以来记录到的最大地震。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。三十年的GPS监测显示，波多黎各的西南部正在独立于该岛的其他部分移动。这项工作将增加了解如何岛是变形之前和之后的地震序列，除了了解地震位移。自2020年12月29日以来，波多黎各-维尔京群岛微板块的西南部地区遭受了大规模地震群的袭击，发生了几次5级地震，并于2020年1月7日发生了6.4级主震。该地区发生了严重的破坏、流离失所的人口和对持续不断的后果的焦虑。该地区已发现几处断层。然而，最近发现了最有可能的成因断层，北博克龙-蓬塔蒙塔尔瓦断层。对断层进行仪器测量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构造块中的所有18个活动GPS站点，并安装6个临时实时全球导航卫星系统站点。目标是量化西南部波多黎各块体的运动，并了解哪些断层是适应运动的。收集的大地测量数据将帮助研究人员估计最近的地震活动与断层向陆地延伸的弹性应变积累之间的关系。该奖项反映了NSF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.