By integrating scientific information derived from its multi-disciplinary observatories, which use a wide variety of geophysical instrumentation, EarthScope will yield a comprehensive, time-dependent picture of the continent beyond that which any single discipline can achieve.
San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD)
The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) is a 3-kilometer deep hole drilled directly into the San Andreas Fault midway between
San Francisco and Los Angeles, near Parkfield, CA. Located in an area that has ruptured six times since 1857, the hole is providing the
first opportunity to observe directly the conditions under which earthquakes occur, to collect rocks and fluids from the fault zone for
laboratory study, and to continuously monitor the physical condition within an active earthquake nucleation zone.
A wide array of data and physical samples have been obtained already. These include seismic recordings from deep within both boreholes,
comprehensive geophysical logs along the entire length of the drill hole, and core, cuttings, and fluid samples
more ›
Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO)
The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) component of EarthScope is a geodetic observatory designed to study the three-dimensional strain field resulting from deformation across the active boundary zone between the Pacific and North American plates in the western United States. The observatory consists of arrays of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and strainmeters, which will be used to deduce the strain field on timescales of days to decades and geologic and paleoseismic investigations to examine the strain field over longer time scales. more ›
Seismic and Magnetotelluric Observatory (USArray)
The USArray component of EarthScope is a continental-scale seismic amd magnetotelluric observatory designed to provide a foundation for integrated studies of continental lithosphere and deep Earth structure over a wide range of scales. USArray is providing a new insight and new data to address fundamental questions in earthquake physics, volcanic processes, core-mantle interactions, active deformation and tectonics, continental structure and evolution, geodynamics, and crustal fluids (magmatic, hydrothermal, and meteoric). more ›