Accomplishment Based Renewal: Temporal Evolution of Hydrothermal and Volcanic Processes at the East Pacific Rise From Microearthquake Data

最近的研究表明，微地震研究可以为理解大洋中脊上发生的各种过程做出重大贡献。从2003年10月到2007年1月，一系列海底地震仪（obs）在9°50？东太平洋隆起（EPR）上的N。到目前为止，这个项目非常成功；它带来了几项重要的发现，并发表了10篇科学论文，其中两篇发表在最负盛名的杂志《科学》和《自然》上。托尔斯泰?美国国家科学基金会提交给国会的年度报告中也提到了他的研究成果。这个项目也催生了相关学科的研究。EPR OBS实验记录的地震比预期的多两个数量级，新的资金将使这些数据能够继续分析；具体来说，研究从地震中推断出的结构的时间趋势；分析震源过程、震源机制及喷发前后应力场变化；根据放射性测年法，研究在主要地震危机（2006年1月22日）发生前6个月爆发活动的地震证据。该项目的更广泛影响包括积极的公共宣传计划，支持研究生和支持高效的女性研究者。

Recent work has shown that micro earthquake studies can contribute significantly to understanding a variety of processes that occur on mid ocean ridges. From October 2003 to January 2007 an array of Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBSs) recorded ~320,000 microearthquakes near 9°50?N on the East Pacific Rise (EPR). To date this project has been very successful; it has led to several important discoveries, and it has produced 10 scientific papers, two of which have appeared in the most prestigious journals, Science and Nature. Tolstoy?s work has also been featured in the NSF annual report to Congress. This project has also spawned research in related disciplines. The EPR OBS experiment recorded around two orders of magnitude more earthquakes than had been expected and renewal funding will enable continued analysis of these data; specifically, studying temporal trends in the structures inferred from the earthquakes; analyzing source processes, focal mechanisms and variations in the stress field before, during and after the eruption; examining data for seismic evidence that eruptive activity occurred in the 6 months prior to the main seismic crisis (January 22, 2006) as implied by radiometric dating. Among the broader impacts of this project are a vigorous public outreach program, support for a graduate student and support for a highly productive female investigator.