We offer technical resources for the management of active-source seismic projects, providing end-to-end seismic source capabilities for Principal Investigators (PIs). We focus on four main objectives: seismic source management, training, liability insurance, and proposal support. We provide resources to geoscientists in the fundamentals of seismic source management (experiment design, permitting, contracting, engineering and firing of sources). Liability insurance coverage is provided for projects under direct supervision. Experiment support (personnel) will determined on project needs. Currently, NSF funded projects are not requiring cost recovery of personnel time.

What is active source seismology?
In order to collect seismological waveform data, a vibratory source and a seismograph sensitive to those vibrations are needed. These are commonly referred to as sources and receivers. In natural source seismology, receivers are deployed where seismologists think appropriate and sources are provided by nature. In controlled, or active source seismology, sources and receivers are deployed when and where seismologists need them. There are of course limitations in the size and location of sources, as well as the location of receivers, but there is no waiting for nature to provide the exact source needed. Hence controlled source seismology has many advantages in exploring the shallower parts of the Earth down to the Moho.
These seismic sources range from shotgun blanks fired into the ground, to accelerated weight drop, to small explosive charges in shallow holes, to one or more vibrators of various sizes shaking the ground, to larger explosive charges in deeper holes.