Scoping out sites to monitor quakes in the Midwest

Over the past five years, an array of 400 seismometers has been slowly moving across the United States, from west to east. The stations are in place for two years, then moved eastward. Now, Missouri S&T researcher Stephen Gao and some students are getting in on the action as the instruments continue their eastward migration.

Gao, a seismologist in Missouri S&T's geology and geophysics program, is working with four students from Missouri universities to conduct field surveys and identify locations for the stations. The effort is part of a National Science Foundation initiative called EarthScope. In 2010-2011, 43 earthquake recording stations will be placed in Missouri and southern Iowa as part of the program.

In addition to recording data on earthquakes, scientists can gather important information about the Earth's inner structure through this program, Gao explains. Seconds after a significant earthquake, geophysicists around the world can access the information recorded by each of the stations to learn more about that part of the Earth.

You can track the current status of the EarthScope seismonomers using this interactive map of the EarthScope website. You'll see that the west is covered with the instruments up until about midway through Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.