Stimulus Money to Upgrade Earthquake Monitoring System

~“These stimulus grants will save lives as well as create jobs”~

If its not hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes or flooding here is something else to think about, at least on a national scale. Earthquakes. And when you think earthquakes you may not connect the dots to federal stimulus money. But the government does. The United States Geological Survey, USGS says it ‘s time for an upgrade to the nation’s earthquake monitoring network and that the money spent will save lives as well as create jobs. More than 75 million Americans in 39 states face the risk of earthquakes, yet the USGS says some of the existing monitoring technology is 40 years old.

The United States Geological Survey, USGS has awarded $5 million in grants to universities and will provide nearly $7 million in new equipment to upgrade earthquake monitoring stations nationwide, as part of the development of the USGS Advanced National Seismic System.

Although Florida is not usually considered to be a state subject to earthquakes, several minor shocks have occurred there. However, only one of these caused damage. A shock in January 1879 occurred near St. Augustine and did some minor damage. A 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred about 260 miles off of Florida’s west coast in September, 2006. Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities.

According to the USGS more than 800 earthquakes have been recorded in the US in just the past 7 days, mostly in California and Alaska.

These updates will help scientists provide emergency responders with time-critical information used to save lives and reduce economic losses. Some of the new monitoring systems will make use of solar power as the primary power source in remote locations, making them more energy efficient than the ones they replace. This program is an extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The grants are being awarded to 13 universities nationwide to upgrade critical earthquake monitoring networks and increase public safety.

“These stimulus grants will save lives as well as create jobs,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said today. “More than 75 million Americans in 39 states face the risk of earthquakes. Through the modernization of seismic networks and data processing centers, scientists will be able to provide emergency responders with more reliable, robust information to save lives and reduce economic losses.”

Grants are awarded by the U.S. Geological Survey, and monitoring is a key component of the USGS Advanced National Seismic System. ANSS is a national network of sophisticating shaking monitors placed both on the ground and in buildings in urban areas. The ANSS “strong motion” instruments give emergency response personnel real-time maps of severe ground shaking and provide engineers with information to create stronger and sounder structures for homes, bridges, buildings, and utility and communication networks.

“These investments under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide jobs for the manufacturers of the equipment, the geophysical contractors who perform installations, and the colleges and universities that run regional earthquake networks and are training the next generation of earthquake scientists in partnership with USGS,” Salazar noted.

In California and other high-hazard regions, some parts of the current system include 40-year-old technology, and even the systems most recently upgraded date back to 1997. Think about what a 12-year-old computer looks like. Stimulus funding will replace old instruments with state-of-the-art, robust systems across the highest earthquake hazard areas in California, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Intermountain West, and the central and eastern United States.

The new monitoring systems will be more energy-efficient than the ones they replace and will make solar power the primary power source in remote locations. Engaging students in the siting and installation will provide a unique educational experience and help to train the next generation of earthquake scientists.

Because the investments will modernize aging equipment at existing stations, they do not represent out-year commitments and the new equipment should lower future maintenance costs. The investments in earthquake monitoring meet the stated Recovery Act criteria of being “temporary, targeted and timely” – spending that will flow directly into the economy.

Universities receiving funding include: Montana Tech of the University of Montana; California Institute of Technology; University of Oregon; University of Utah; University of California, San Diego; University of Washington; Saint Louis University; University of Memphis; Boston College, University of Nevada, Reno; University of California, Berkeley; Columbia University; and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.