Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory
The Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) was established in 1961 as a quiet site for testing seismometers for the WWSSN, but quickly became the installation and maintenance depot and data collection center as well. The ASL occupies a 160-acre site located in a remote area of the Isleta Pueblo adjacent to the south boundary of Kirtland Air Force Base, about 15 miles southeast of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The location in the Manzanito Hills is relatively isolated, where seismograph instruments can be operated and tested without major disturbance from manmade noise sources. The ASL consists of 15 structures, 2 subsurface vaults mined into a granite hill, 5 boreholes, and several surface vaults. The extremely low-noise seismometer test facilities at ASL are quite important in evaluating and further developing seismic instrumentation for the GSN and the ANSS.
Over the years, the ASL has been the installation, maintenance and data center for various global seismic networks including the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN), the High Gain Long Period (HGLP) network, the Seismic Research Observatories (SRO), the Digital version of the WWSSN (DWWSSN), and the Modified High Gain Long Period network. During the 1980s and 1990s, ASL developed and deployed the 9 stations of the China Digital Seismic Network (CDSN) and the 9 stations of the Global Telemetered Seismograph Network (GTSN). In 1984, the ASL began working closely with IRIS in developing and installing the GSN. More recently, the ASL collaborated with the USGS NEIC to install 35 backbone stations of the ANSS/Earthscope USArray project and 9 new stations in the Caribbean. Today, the ASL oversees the operation of the GSN and ANSS backbone networks.
ASL history 1961-2000
Tours and educational activities
Contact information and directions
