Seismologist launches Inter Milan | EurekAlert!

image: Gaherty and his team, including graduate students, will participate in two research expeditions in the Pacific Ocean over the next four years to investigate the tectonic and geodynamic processes of this region that control faults, magma, surface deformation, and associated anthropogenic forcings. Show more

Credit: Northern Arizona University

Most major natural hazards associated with geological activity – including major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis – occur when hard tectonic plates collide in a planet’s lithosphere or outer layer. Below the plates is the asthenosphere, a 200-mile-thick layer of Earth’s upper mantle made of superheated material, part hard rock and part viscous magma, softening plate movement. Since the discovery of plate tectonics 50 years ago, scientists have made great progress in understanding these processes, but much remains unknown about this highly complex system, particularly how properties of the asthenosphere contribute to seismic and volcanic events.

Professor James Gaherty and Associate Professor Ryan Porter of Northern Arizona University’s School of Earth and Sustainability have been awarded a $473,000 award by the National Science Foundation for the study of the Cocos oceanic plate below Central America. NAU is collaborating on a major project led by Samer Nayef of Georgia Institute of Technology. Gaherty and Porter will lead the seismic sections of the mission, while Naif will lead an effort to conduct electromagnetic imaging. The NAU team, including graduate students and early-career scientists, will participate in two research expeditions to the Pacific Ocean over the next four years to investigate the tectonic and geodynamic processes of this region that control faults, magma, surface deformation, and associated anthropogenicity. influences.

The team will use unique seafloor sensors to collect data on seismic signals and return it to NAU’s Geophysics Laboratory, where graduate and undergraduate students will gain research experience through data analysis. The seismic images generated by the Cocos plate and the asthenosphere will be combined with the complementary electromagnetic images created by Naif and his team.

“A lot of research in Earth sciences focuses on ongoing processes — looking at why an earthquake starts and stops where and when it happens, for example, or exactly how magma rises from small pockets of melt deep in the mantle and accumulates in the magma chamber just below the surface.”

“However, understanding these processes at any given site still requires a better understanding of the larger system, including the driving forces of the plates, the types of rock involved, the conditions that cause those rocks to break—the formation of faults and earthquakes—and the conditions flowing beneath them like silly putty or melting—which May lead to the formation of volcanoes.The asthenosphere plays a large role in controlling how the plates move and provides the source of melt for most volcanoes.By understanding better how weak the asthenosphere is and how much melt it produces, we can better understand the processes that underlie both volcanic activity and the movement of volcanoes. The plates that lead to earthquakes.”

Using a fleet of ocean floor seismographs (OBS) and ocean floor electromagnetometers (OBEM), the team will focus on data from the sea floor in an area off the west coast of Central America, via a feature called the Nicaragua Fracture Zone (NFZ). . The water depth in this region ranges from 3,000 to 4,500 meters (9,800 to 14,700 feet). OBS and OBEM will operate independently on the sea floor, recording natural seismic and electromagnetic signals for about a year.

“Using passive source seismic and electromagnetic imaging to determine the shear velocity and electrical resistance of the lithosphere and asthenosphere on either side of the null zone,” Gherty said, “we will address a number of key questions related to the state of the asthenosphere and the nature of inland volcanic activity near where the Cocos Plates meet. and Nazca and the Pacific.”

Ultimately, the team hopes to provide a new understanding of how much melt is in the asthenosphere and the role it plays in volcanic processes and plate movement.

Gaherty, who joined NAU in 2020, has worked on several other projects using similar methods in other parts of the Pacific, but this is the first time he has worked in this region. To learn more about previous Gaherty expeditions, visit this research blog with entries written by several scholars and students.

“I would love to have the opportunity to collect data that takes samples from parts of the Earth that have never been imaged in any other way,” Gerty said. Historically, seismic networks were restricted to land, and in many cases to highly developed areas. Over the course of my career, I have had the opportunity to explore a wide variety of tectonic systems that had not previously been explored using these types of seismic techniques, including remote locations in the Northwest Territories of Canada, islands at the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea and in the depths of Lake Malawi in East of Africa. The ocean basins are particularly special, and this will be the fifth Pacific seismic investigation that I personally lead. The data has led me, my students, and my co-workers to a better understanding of the processes that drive the evolution of panels. It also lives on as unique data that a wide range of other researchers can exploit. NASA stresses the excitement of exploring new planets. I feel so relieved about exploring the depths of Earth’s ocean basins in ways I’ve never seen before.”

The team will work with international partners to share data and improve understanding

The team will collaborate directly with international partners in the region that represent national seismic networks in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Representatives from each organization will be invited to join the two missions, gaining unique training and experience in collecting oceanographic and geophysical data and instrumentation on the ocean floor, and enabling a range of scientific analyzes that will improve understanding of earthquake and tsunami risks in the region.

About Northern Arizona University

Founded in 1899, Northern Arizona University is a top research institution that provides exceptional educational opportunities and outcomes in Arizona and beyond. NAU offers a student-centered experience to nearly 30,000 students in Flagstaff, statewide and online through rigorous academic programs in a supportive, inclusive and diverse environment. As a community-engaged driver of opportunity, NAU supports the social impact and economic mobility of students and the communities it serves. The university’s long history of education and partnership with students and diverse communities throughout Arizona has been further enhanced by its recent designation as a Hispanic Service Institution (HSI). Our world-renowned dedicated faculty and staff help ensure that students gain academic excellence, experience personal growth, gain meaningful research and experiential learning opportunities, and are centered for personal and professional success. NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus, located on the Colorado Plateau, in one of the nation’s highest-ranked university cities, is truly a gem of the Southwest.

# # #

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! Not responsible for the accuracy of newsletters sent to EurekAlert! Through the contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos