Cart
While Glendon Rewerts begins the excavation that will host the site, Kyren Bogolub documents the installation gear: the Guralp CMG-3T seismometer in front, and the solar-powered Reftek RT130 digitizer in a Hardigg case with a Suntek solar panel behind. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.

Seismometer installed on campus

2020-10-13 | CGS Admin

Mines students partner with the CGS to install seismometer on campus

Colorado School of Mines geophysics students enrolled in Assistant Professor Ebru Bozdag’s Earthquake Seismology class have a literal ear to the ground for the next few weeks.

With help from two CGS employees, Kyren Bogolub, graduate student (in seismology) at the University of Colorado and Lauren Broes, geologist, the geophysics students installed a broadband sensor behind the GRL Annex building on campus as a temporary seismic station.

In addition to monitoring and listening to ambient noise including local construction work, the class hopes to record regional and distant earthquakes from around the globe. Over the next few weeks, the class will analyze the data, characterize the recorded signals, and report their observations.

The instrumentation—a Guralp CMG-3T sensor (seismometer) connected to a Suntek solar-panel/battery powered Reftek RT130 data-logger with geolocation provided via a Garmin GPS unit—was borrowed from the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Passcal division (Iris Passcal). A scientific research consortium of more than 120 U.S. universities, IRIS is widely responsible for the acquisition, management, and open-access distribution of seismic data from around the globe. 

While Glendon Rewerts begins the excavation that will host the site, Kyren Bogolub documents the installation gear: the Guralp CMG-3T seismometer in front, and the solar-powered Reftek RT130 digitizer in a Hardigg case with a Suntek solar panel behind. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
While Glendon Rewerts begins the excavation that will host the site, Kyren Bogolub documents the installation gear: the Guralp CMG-3T seismometer in front, and the solar-powered Reftek RT130 digitizer in a Hardigg case with a Suntek solar panel behind. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Rachel Willis, Mines student, continues the excavation in some very hard backfill. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Rachel Willis, Mines student, continues the excavation in some very hard backfill. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Glendon Rewerts, Mines student, takes a break while CGS geologist Lauren Broes continues excavating. Photo credit: Kyren Bogolub for the CGS.
Glendon Rewerts, Mines student, takes a break while CGS geologist Lauren Broes continues excavating. Photo credit: Kyren Bogolub for the CGS.
The Guralp CMG-3T broadband sensor (seismometer) is place on a stable and level surface, preferably underground with the correct (north-pointing) orientation. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
The Guralp CMG-3T broadband sensor (seismometer) is place on a stable and level surface, preferably underground with the correct (north-pointing) orientation. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Postdoc Neala Creasy and visiting student Ridvan Orsuvan connect the solar-panel/battery-powered Reftek RT130 digitizer to the seismometer feed cable. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Postdoc Neala Creasy and visiting student Ridvan Orsuvan connect the solar-panel/battery-powered Reftek RT130 digitizer to the seismometer feed cable. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Kyren Bogolub shows an initial seismic trace from the installation. The seismometer will be recording ground movement continuously for several weeks, providing data for class analysis and interpretation. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
Kyren Bogolub shows an initial seismic trace from the installation. The seismometer will be recording ground movement continuously for several weeks, providing data for class analysis and interpretation. Photo credit: Ebru Bozdag.
The finished temporary seismic station behind the GRL Annex building on the Mines campus along with the installation crew, from left to right: Ebru Bozdag (Assistant Professor of Geophysics), students Ana Garcia-Cebellos, Rachel Willis, and Glendon Rewerts, Ridvan Orsvuran (visiting student), Neala Creasy (postdoc), Kyren Bogolub (from the CGS in front), September 2020, Golden, Colorado. Photo credit: Lauren Broes for the CGS.
The finished temporary seismic station behind the GRL Annex building on the Mines campus along with the installation crew, from left to right: Ebru Bozdag (Assistant Professor of Geophysics), students Ana Garcia-Cebellos, Rachel Willis, and Glendon Rewerts, Ridvan Orsvuran (visiting student), Neala Creasy (postdoc), Kyren Bogolub (from the CGS in front), September 2020, Golden, Colorado. Photo credit: Lauren Broes for the CGS.

The Mines geophysics group is planning to collaborate further with the CGS to install a permanent station close to the Mines campus—preferably in a quieter area to increase the quality of earthquake and other environmental signals such as landslides. That station will provide a continuous and open-access seismic data stream through the IRIS system that will be available for both students and researchers: stay tuned!

Categories & Tags

Categories

Hazards

Tags

2020s, CGS, CSM, earthquake, geophysics, hazards, RockTalk, seismicity, seismometer, students