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Media Advisory 04-25
Geologists Host Tour Of San Andreas Fault On Sept. 2nd
EarthScope Project Scientists Lead Modern-Day 'Journey to the Center of the Earth'
August 9, 2004
In a modern-day journey to the center of the Earth, geologists are exploring the structure and evolution of the North American continent at scales from hundreds of kilometers to less than a millimeter - from the structure of a continent, to individual faults, earthquakes and volcanoes. The project is called EarthScope. With approximately $200 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), EarthScope will be developed over the next five years. The project is expected to operate for an additional 15 years.
On Sept. 2, scientists studying San Andreas Fault geology will provide a first look at the multiple technologies EarthScope will use to explore the structure and tectonics of North America:
- A four-kilometer deep observatory drilled directly into the San Andreas fault to measure the physical conditions under which earthquakes there occur
- One of 875 permanent Global Positioning System (GPS) stations being installed, which can measure relative distance changes of less than 0.5 millimeters
- One of an eventual network of 400 seismographic stations that will spread across the United States, making observations at more than 2,000 geographic locations to map the structure and composition of North America
- The unique educational opportunities that EarthScope will provide as a national experiment, its sensors located at more than 3,000 sites across the United States to measure and observe plate tectonics in real time
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Who:
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Scientists from NSF, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the EarthScope Project:
-- Arden Bement, Acting Director, National Science Foundation
-- Chip Groat, Director, U.S. Geological Survey
-- Greg van der Vink, Director, EarthScope
-- Mark Zoback, Stanford University
-- William Prescott, UNAVCO, Inc.
-- David Simpson, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
-- Steve Hickman, U. S. Geological Survey
-- Paul Silver, Carnegie Institution of Washington
-- Goran Ekstrom, Harvard University
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What:
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EarthScope's first look into North American continent geology
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When:
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Thursday, Sept. 2
7:00am to 1:00pm
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Where:
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San Andreas Fault
Depart from Paso Robles Inn,
1103 Spring Street
Paso Robles, California 93466
(805) 238-2660
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-NSF-
For more information on the EarthScope Project, please see: www.earthscope.org
Media Contacts
Cheryl L. Dybas, NSF (703) 292-7734 cdybas@nsf.gov
Related Websites
EarthScope Project: http://www.earthscope.org
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that
supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and
engineering, with an annual budget of $6.06 billion. NSF funds reach all 50
states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year,
NSF receives about 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over
11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in
professional and service contracts yearly.
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