ANSS - Advanced National Seismic System

Mission

The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) is the regional authority for monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. It was set up in 1974 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). The original objective of the network was to evaluate the local seismicity for the construction of the Aguirre and Islote nuclear power plants. This goal was accomplished in 1979. It was operated by the Center for Energy and Environment Research of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayag�ez (UPRM) between 1982 and 1987 when it was transferred to the Department of Geology of UPRM.

With funds from the University of Puerto Rico, the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico State Emergency Management Agency, NOAA, FEMA, USGS and NSF, the Puerto Rico Seismic Network has been expanding its operations for both regional earthquake monitoring and tsunami early-warning. It is staffed 24/7 since March 2008. Its primary objective is to provide timely and reliable earthquake and tsunami information and warning for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands. It operates and monitors a network of Seismic-GPS-Tide Gauge stations. The integrated network consists 17 broadband (20 to 360 seconds) and 7 short period (1 - 2 Hz) seismic stations, 9 permanent GPS stations, and 17 tide gauge stations (Figures 1 and 2) located in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic. A GSN station is also located in Cayey, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program, also at the UPRM, operates almost 100 free field strong motion stations throughout Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic, which have real time or dial up capabilities and can be accessed by the PRSN. The GPS stations are co-located with broadband and strong motion sensors and closely-spaced with tide gauge stations.

Capabilities

Earthquake Response Products

• Earthquake Locations Threshold: M 0.5 within the island.
• Magnitudes: CODA Magnitude, Ml, mb, Mwp.
• Earthquake and Tsunami Bulletins for all felt earthquakes and earthquakes with a M 3.5 or greater in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Region.
• Shake Maps for Puerto Rico
• On line Community Internet Intensity Maps (Spanish)
• Email and pager notification
• Broadcast notification for real time earthquake display at Emergency Management locations
• PRDANIS (in house developed software), Earthworm and Early Bird Seismic data processing systems for reviewed and automatic locations.

Webpages

• Local and Regional Significant Earthquakes Pages
• Felt earthquakes with Shake Maps and Community Internet Intensity Maps
• Detailed Seismicity Maps
• Phase data
• Historical Seismicity
• Seismic, GPS and Tide Gauge Stations
• Tide Gauge Data
• Earthquake and Tsunami Education and Information Products

General Informational Products

• Earthquake Catalog Searches
• Earthquake and Tsunami Safety Information
• Tsunami Evacuation Maps