Geodetic Studies of the San Andreas Fault, San Bernardino Mountains

Project Description: Collect GPS data from the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and vicinity. Interns will learn how to set up and operate geodetic-quality GPS antennae and receivers and will then travel as a pair to remote locations in the eastern San Bernardino Mountains and vicinity to set up GPS equipment over existing benchmarks. This will often involve hiking several miles to reach remote benchmarks and may involve day-time babysitting and/or camping at less remote benchmarks in order to guard the equipment from theft. Interns will also help to train a large group of other undergraduate students and high school and middle school teachers in the use of the GPS equipment beginning on July 11. Data collection will be completed by around July 22, with the remaining 3 weeks of the internship available for modeling and interpreting the GPS site velocities for fault slip rates and preparation of a research poster to present at the SCEC meeting in September.
Intern(s): Matthew Peterson, Grant Copeland, Naomi Jahan
Mentor(s):

Sally McGill, California State University, San Bernardino

Promoting Citizen Science with the Quake-Catcher Network: Seismology Online Content-Based Design for Use by Museums and Libraries

Project Description: The Quake-Catcher Network (QCN) uses low-cost seismic sensors to record data in real-time on volunteer computers, and places the science in the hands of everyday people. We seek a motivated intern to coordinate a pilot program with ~3-4 museums, libraries, and other free-choice learning institutions within southern California to facilitate the installation and marketing of the QCN sensors. This project is a joint effort between the QCN and the Earthquake Education and Public Information Center (EPIcenter) Network to further encourage earthquake and tsunami preparedness in California. The intern will document how the QCN sensors are used by the pilot institutions and the effectiveness of the sensors as a learning tool. In addition, the intern will be involved in designing web content and educational pamphlets for use in the installation and marketing of the QCN sensors. With sufficient density of sensors, QCN may one day be used as an earthquake early-warning and forecasting tool, which complements the goals of the Uniform Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF) version 3. UCERF provides a scientific hazard estimate for California that is currently under-development and will be released by the US Geological Survey in mid-2012. Since some local travel is involved, it is desirable for the intern to have access to a vehicle.
Intern(s): Liam Shaughnessy
Mentor(s):

Danielle Sumy, Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS)