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August 25, 2011—The Ohio Seismic Network (OhioSeis) recently held its fourteenth annual workshop. Administrated by OhioSeis Coordinator Mike Hansen and attended by volunteers from its network of stations, the workshop covered a wide range of topics related to the varied aspects of the network.
“It was a time to work towards our common goal of serving the citizens of Ohio,” says Hansen, “by providing rapid, reliable information on Ohio earthquakes and to assess the potential for large, damaging earthquakes in the state.”
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New upgrades to each OhioSeis station include an online, real-time display of seismic activity. Click to enlarge.
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The day was highlighted by the introduction of the new Linux data-collection software. The new software provides a very stable and secure platform for data collection. Other new features include a digital helicorder and real-time display of seismic signals for each station data Web page. (See a list of stations and access their data pages here.) These features will be very useful for the scientific functions of the network and will be popular with the public while serving an important educational function. To date, thirteen of the 25 OhioSeis stations have installed the new software.
Other topics of discussion included a review of the four-day Shaken Horizon exercise conducted by the Ohio Emergency Management Agency; the Geauga County Parks’ new Observatory Park, near Montville in Geauga County, which features the network’s newest station; a new, easy-to-use version of SeismoVu, a Web browser-based program to view and analyze seismograms; and an update on siting of Earthscope stations in Ohio.
A program of the National Science Foundation, Earthscope deploys thousands of seismic, global positioning system (GPS), and other instruments to study the structure and evolution of the North American continent and the processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. (See the Earthscope website for more information.) Earthscope station sites require very quiet locations in order to record high-quality data. Survey chief Larry Wickstrom has been working with ODNR staff and OhioSeis personnel to secure sites on ODNR lands, such as parks, wildlife areas, and other facilities.
"The Earthscope project is an exciting opportunity," says Wickstrom. "Once the array is operational, it will open a new chapter in our understanding of the deep geology beneath us and provide a great learning opportunity for all Ohioans." The Earthscope stations will be installed in the summer of 2012 and be in place for two years.
The last item on the agenda was an open discussion of potential research projects based on the data collected by the Earthscope array in Ohio. For example, the Survey currently is gathering geothermal data as part of a national effort to update the National Geothermal Data System. This geothermal data, which tells us much about the deep subsurface, could be combined with the Earthscope and other data to give us an unprecedented look at the deep structure beneath Ohio and perhaps help refine OhioSeis modeling methods.
Further Information
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