ANSS - Advanced National Seismic System

TIC Working Group on Instrumentation, Siting, Installation, and Site Metadata (D)

Members of ANSS TIC Group D

• Hutt, Bob (Chair)
• Estes, Steve
• Evans, John
• Hough, Sue
• Nigbor, Bob
• Savage, Woody
• Steidl, Jamie
• Uhrhammer, Bob

Background

The ANSS TIC recently reviewed USGS OFR 02-92 “Technical Guidelines for the implementation of the Advanced National Seismic System” and had identified several areas where the guidelines are either incomplete or do not represent the current state of the ANSS. In order to bring the OFR 02-92 up to date, the TIC has convened a working group on Instrumentation, Siting, Installation, and Site Metadata.

Charge

This working group will focus on station requirements for ANSS backbone, regional broadband, and urban reference stations. This includes instrumentation specifications, siting requirements, installation guidelines, and especially site metadata needs. Structural response stations are outside of this working group’s focus.

Tasks

1. Review Chapter 3 of the TIC Plan (OFR 02-92) and make specific written recommendations for modifications to update it and to better reflect current ANSS needs, especially considering budget constraints.
2. Review Chapter 4 of the TIC Plan (OFR 02-92) and make specific written recommendations for modification to update it and to better reflect current ANSS needs and priorities.
3. Recommend modifications to current practice for backbone and broadband stations to make strong-motion data from these stations more useful for engineering practices.
4. Define the necessary site metadata (geology, topography, soil properties, etc.) for all ANSS stations.
5. Define the additional site metadata needed for urban reference stations.
6. Develop priorities for site characterization work at both existing and new ANSS stations to populate a metadata database.
7. Develop guidance for new urban reference station siting.
8. Recommend standards for instrumentation (datalogger and sensor) calibration. Evaluate the need for instrumentation calibration and test facilities.

The working group should, through its TIC members, interface with other overlapping working groups and committees, specifically the Working Group on XML Standards for Earthquake Information, the Working Group on Waveform and Waveform Metadata, and the Structural Instrumentation Guidance Committee.