US-France Cooperative Research: The Midway-Hawaii Seismic Experiment

该奖项将支持西北大学地质科学系的Emile Okal博士和法国斯特拉斯堡巴斯德大学地球物理研究所的Michael Cara教授之间的合作研究。该研究项目将涉及在中途岛(太平洋)的一个三分量宽带地震台的联合运作，两位研究人员多年来一直在世界范围内从事面波研究，在太平洋地区也是如此。这项研究的共同目标是解决太平洋海盆下的地壳和上地幔结构，特别是它的横向非均质性和各向异性。在这一总体框架下，Cara博士和Okal博士开始了在太平洋盆地面波研究方面的积极合作。在这个项目中，他们将在中途岛联合运营一个“便携式”的高质量宽带地震台。将要收集的数据将对我们理解热点附近岩石圈的力学和热演化以及地幔热柱的动力学具有重要意义。限制岩石圈热再生模型的一个主要困难是缺乏除海洋水深测量和热流以外的观测约束。这项研究的结果将解决这个问题。

This award will support collaborative research betwen Dr. Emile Okal, Department of Geological Sciences, Northwestern University and Professor Michael Cara, Institut de Physique du Globe, University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France. The research project will involve the joint operation of a three-component broad-band seismic station at Midway Island (Pacific Ocean) Both investigators have been engaged for several years in surface-wave studies on a world-wide basis, and locally in the Pacific Ocean. The common goal in this research has been the resolution of the crustal and upper mantle structure under the Pacific Basin, in particular, its lateral heterogeneity and anisotropy. In this general framework, Drs. Cara and Okal have started an active cooperation in surface-wave investigations in the Pacific Basin. In this project they will jointly operate a "portable" high quality broad-band seismic station in Midway Island. The data to be gathered will be of importance for our understanding of the mechanical and thermal evolution of the lithosphere near hot spots, as well as for the dynamics of the mantle plumes. A major difficulty in constraining models of thermal rejuvenation of the lithosphere is the lack of observational constraints, other than ocean bathymetry and heat flow. The results of this research will address this problem.