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Here are some of the articles that have been recently posted to the PASSCAL website:

SmartSolo archives flipped polarity (IGU-16HR 3C 5Hz)

Dear EarthScope Community and EPIC PIs:

In September of 2023 we discovered that SmartSolo node (IGU-16HR 3C, 5Hz) data archived from EPIC experiments has a non-standard polarity on the Z-channel relative to the down-positive industry geophone convention. Details of this discovery and the steps that will be taken to correct this discrepancy, which will affect the existing and future archives, are outlined below.

Issue

The expected polarity for data archived from EPIC experiments are as follow:

Broadband seismometer – Up (Z-dip = -90), North and East motion produce a positive polarity. Geophone – Down (Z-dip = +90), North and East motion produce a positive polarity

Data archived, both PH5 and SEED, prior to October 05, 2023 from EPIC experiments using the SmartSolo nodes have the following polarity and metadata mismatch: 

12/04/2023
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Important Hardware/Software Notes for Researchers Using EPIC Equipment

This page includes important Hardware/Software Notes for Researchers Using EPIC Equipment. January 17, 2019: GPS Rollover

Late 2018 EPIC learned of a GPS week rollover event that can affect data logger performance and timing. EPIC has acquired a GNSS signal generator that can emulate GPS satellite signals. This satellite emulator allows us to test EPIC equipment that relies on GPS timing and to determine how equipment will handle the GPS rollover event. To date, we have determined that some models of GPS engines are affected by the rollover. How the rollover errors manifest is dependent on the data logger’s model and firmware version of the GPS engine.

01/17/2019
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GEOICE

The Geophysical Earth Observatory for Ice-Covered Environments (GEOICE) project was a NSF collaborative Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program that expanded the EPIC Polar group’s observational capabilities and logistical efficiencies. GEOICE developed a rapidly deployable, dense footprint seismic observatory system for operation in ice-covered areas. The GEOICE project was a collaborative effort between Central Washington University (CWU), Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (EarthScope) and the Portable Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (EPIC) Instrument Center at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.

01/14/2025
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EarthScope EPIC Data Policy

November 1, 2017
01/13/2025
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EPIC and EMRTC help BBC explain internal structure of Earth

In early May, a team from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) visited New Mexico Tech to use school facilities to support a new documentary on the current state of knowledge about the Earth's core.  Since seismology is the only practical method for probing the Earth's core, the team arranged the support of two of New Mexico Tech's facilities, the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center (EMRTC), and the Program for Array Seismic Studies of the Continental Lithosphere (EPIC), to demonstrate how the seismic waves from earthquakes or man-made explosions can travel through the Earth, and be used as a subsurface probing tool. The team was assisted by Dave Thomas and Mouse Reusch from EPIC, and Richard Aster from the NMT Earth and Environmental Science department.

01/13/2025
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Software Resources

EPIC PASSOFT Software

EPIC provides open-source software for downloading seismic data from data recorders, for quality assessment, and for conversion to other data formats for analysis and archiving at the EarthScope Data Management Center.

PASSOFT is supported only for Mac and Linux operating systems, and not for Windows. Some Windows users have been able to use PASSOFT by first installing a Windows Subsystem for Linux.

Note - Python: We no longer support Python version lower than 3.9.

Note - MacOS: We no longer support MacOS version lower than 12 (Monterey).

01/13/2025
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Magnetotelluric Systems at EPIC

Magnetotelluric (MT) methods are used to produce conductivity models of the crust and upper mantle through the recording of geoelectric and geomagnetic field variations at the Earth's surface. Depending on the period of the recordings, these methods can provide results from a few hundred meters depth (short period) to 30 km or deeper (long period). Conductivity is a physical property, which is complementary to seismic velocity, and which is very sensitive to the presence of fluids. When seismic and MT data sets are measured together, the additional data can dramatically improve determinations of the structure of the crust and mantle.

 

 

Since 2019, the EPIC (formerly known as EPIC) has been developing MT resources to meet PIs needs. We currently have a wide pool of MT equipment including both long-period (LEMI) and wideband (Phoenix) systems.

 

01/13/2025
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Nanometrics Trillium 120 Posthole Broadband Sensor

Note:  EPIC has purchased 11 Nanometrics Trillium 120PH seismometers.

01/13/2025
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7th annual Polar Technology Conference coming to Albuquerque in March 2011

The 7th annual Polar Technology Conference will be hosted by EarthScope/EPIC on 24-25 March 2011, at the Albuquerque Marriott, 2101 Louisiana Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87110 USA. The primary purpose of this conference is to bring together Polar Scientists and Technology Developers in a forum to exchange information on research system operational needs and technology solutions that have been successful in polar environments.  This exchange of knowledge helps to address issues of design, implementation, and deployment for systems that are to achieve their research goals in the Polar Regions.

01/12/2025
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"White Wanderer" Exhibit in Chicago joins Seismology and Art

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An exhibit sponsored by the Natural Resources Defense Council has combined the work of University of Chicago seismological scientist Doug MacAyeal of with the art of Luftwerk, to produce an artistic rendition of the seismic "sounds" produced by climate change in the Antarctic. The exhibit opened with a live demonstration of seismic data acquisition, using instruments provided by EarthScope/EPIC. The project was a collaboration with NRDC, with additional help from the University of Chicago, and was on display at Two Riverside Plaza, Chicago IL from Sept 7th – Oct 1st. 

01/12/2025
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