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

Polar Posters and Presentations

Polar Posters and Presentations

 

Polar Technology Conference, 2016

Download Presentation: 6.2MB Polar Technology Conference, 2015

Download Presentation: 3.5MB McMurdo Science Talk, 2015-16

07/18/2019
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EarthScope/EPIC Facility featured on KRQE News 13

The EarthScope/EPIC was featured in a three-minute video aired on August 22nd, 2016 by Albuquerque, NM station KRQE-TV-13. The video, which included segments on other New Mexico Tech research facilities (EMRTC, Langmuir Lightning Lab, the Magdalena Ridge Observatory, and at Mt. Erebus in Antarctica) can be seen here.

 

07/02/2019
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All about SEED format

SEED:  Standard for the Exchange of Earthquake Data

The Standard for the Exchange of Earthquake Data (SEED) is an international standard format for the exchange of digital seismological data.  SEED was designed for use by the earthquake research community, primarily for the exchange between institutions of unprocessed earth motion data.  It is a format for digital data measured at one point in space and at equal intervals of time.

The SEED reference manual (version 2.4) is published by the Federation of Digital Seismographic Networks (FDSN), the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (EarthScope), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

05/23/2019
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Batteries for Summer Only Enclosure

Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable batteries are used for summer-only and year-round polar seismic experiments. For summer-only experiments, due to the roughly continuous sunlight, stations can be powered solely with rechargeable batteries.

For EPIC Polar experiments the preferred rechargeable battery is an AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) battery manufactured by Concorde Battery Corporation. Both the Sun Xtender PVX-420T and PVX-560T work well for a summer deployment where only a limited amount of storage is required for cloudy days.

Primary Batteries

Primary batteries are usually not necessary for summer only deployment due to the ample amount of sunlight available.

 

04/25/2019
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Three-component Node Procurement Update

As a response to the seismological community's desire to deploy a larger number of 3-component nodal seismic systems, the EarthScope EPIC standing committee has guided EarthScope management to procure more nodes for the EPIC pool. EarthScope already has 73 Magseis Fairfield ZLAND 3-component 5Hz nodes in the pool and these have been subscribed for more than 2 years out. We have now begun the procurement of another 460 Magseis Fairfield nodes for general EPIC pool use. We expect to receive these new nodes in the fall of 2018. The new nodes should be ready for general pool usage starting in February, 2019 after evaluation and acceptance is complete (bringing the general node pool to 533 units). Please feel free to include the new nodes in instrument requests for experiments with start dates after February 2019.

04/22/2019
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Passing of Former EPIC Program Manager Jim Fowler

Jim Fowler passed away on February 25, 2014 after a lengthy battle with cancer and Parkinson’s disease. Jim began his career at EarthScope consortium (Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology) in 1985 as Chief Engineer in Washington, DC, and later became the first manager for the EPIC portable instrument program. In 1999, after New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology was selected to operate the EarthScope/EPIC, the nation’s sole lending library for research seismological instrumentation, Jim moved back to his home state of New Mexico. Jim stepped down as the EPIC Program Manager in October 2010 after 25 years in that position, but continued as Senior Advisor for Engineering and Instrumentation until he retired in February 2013 and moved back to Maryland.

04/11/2019
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Instrument Use Agreement

Principal Investigator: _________________________

 

Experiment: ________________

 

Portable field recording equipment, field computers and other associated equipment purchased by the EPIC Program are being made available to the experiment referenced above. In return for the use of this equipment, the Principal Investigator (PI) is expected to adhere to the following conditions with respect to the operation, care and disposition of the equipment and data obtained:

1. Copies of all data sets acquired with the instruments will be made available to the EarthScope Data Management Center in accordance with the EPIC Data Delivery Policy.

04/11/2019
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PICASSO -SPAIN COMPONENT - Field work

PICASSO - Program to Investigate Convective Alboran Sea System Overturn

"PICASSO  consists of a multidisciplinary international investigation of the Alboran Sea, Gibraltar arc, Atlas Mountains and surrounding areas in the western Mediterranean using passive and active seismology, magnetotellurics, geochemistry/petrology/structural geology, and geodynamic modeling. The project was selected as the pilot experiment for TopoEurope, an EarthScope-like initiative recently approved by the European Science Foundation. The U.S. PICASSO investigators are from Rice (Lee, Levander), the University of Oregon (Humphreys), U.C. San Diego (Seber), WHOI (Chave, Evans), and the University of Southern California (Becker, Platt)". (From Original Proposal)

04/08/2019
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PQL II - Program for Viewing Data

April 21, 2009

 

PQL II is a program for viewing time-series data in any of four formats: MSEED, SEGY,  SAC, or AH (though, to be honest, EPIC staff has not used the AH option). It is the second generation PQL, hence the name PQL II. Both generations of code were written by Richard Boaz and EPIC staff supports the code on MAC OS X, LINUX, and Solaris platforms.To install PQL II on your system, you need to go the EPIC download page, or directly to PQL II download on EPIC's FTP area.

The HELP menus for PQL II are actually helpful. Use them a lot till you get to know the program.

02/25/2019
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Training at EPIC

In addition to loaning and maintaining devices from the instrument pool, and providing vital assistance to PIs in the field, EPIC also trains PIs and their colleagues at our facility in Socorro, New Mexico.  These training sessions can be intense, and typically last three days. The instruction is focused on the specific technical areas requested by PIs (such as data archival methods, or mastering the intricacies of specific sensors).

Training is important for both novice and well-seasoned PIs.  It provides hands-on interaction with the many types of instrumentation, software, and data handling that EPIC supplies, as well as the opportunity to ask questions that normally wouldn't come up until the PI is deploying equipment in the field.  Training at EPIC provides PIs with the opportunity to have their questions answered immediately by our on-site knowledgeable staff.

02/25/2019
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EarthScope Primary Instrument Center
New Mexico Tech
100 East Road, Socorro, NM 87801