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Central America Mexico Caribbean

Central America Mexico Caribbean. Names…. Central America, Mexico, Caribbean. Challenges Data exchange Intra-regional scientific cooperation Science: Moving beyond routine monitoring Increasing the number of geophysicists in the region Solutions and Proposals

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Central America Mexico Caribbean

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  1. Central AmericaMexicoCaribbean Names…

  2. Central America, Mexico, Caribbean Challenges • Data exchange • Intra-regional scientific cooperation • Science: Moving beyond routine monitoring • Increasing the number of geophysicists in the region Solutions and Proposals Framing New Proposals (Hazard, E&O, Science) Funding Partners & Contacts Identifying Regional Institutions

  3. Lessons from AfricaArray Economic drivers • Mining and oil industries (provide funding and employment) • Only Mexico, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago have significant oil industries in this region Other drivers Much greater seismic risk than Africa • Disaster mitigation/earthquake monitoring are bigger concerns Might provide similar appeal to Latino US students as AfricaArray provides to African American students • Could frame proposals as minority E&O to attract US Latino students Capacity-building efforts conducted in-country, rather than in US Differences—many small, diverse, far-flung countries, no South Africa BUT probably have greater expertise in the region than in much of Africa

  4. Data Exchange • Appears to be a problem with concept of open data exchange. • Regional Data Centers vs. IRIS DMC • Frame IRIS DMC as an opportunity to back up data securely, organize metadata, distribute data and metadata • Propose a multi-tier data release policy, e.g., data for events above a certain threshold would be released immediately, other data would be released after 2-3 years • Perhaps tie other efforts (research collaborations, communications upgrades, etc.) to commitment to contribute data under this policy

  5. Challenges for increased cooperation & data exchange • Political issues –national autonomy, local operators need to “justify” their efforts • Geography – many far-flung countries/islands • Languages – Spanish, English, French • Responsibility – need to avoid conflicting reports & event solutions • Diverse, inconsistent “help”—training programs provided by various groups in various software—leads to inconsistency of formats and results.

  6. Possible Solutions • Ensure broad participation – need to be inclusive of all stakeholders • Promote role of local institutions—local networks, local geoscience programs, gov’t agencies • Could IRIS support technical consultants to help with software/hardware needs (configuration, programming, design of acquisition system, conversion scripts/software, etc.)?

  7. Increasing the number of geophysicists in the region • Very few universities in the region offer geophysics degrees. • Lesson from AfricaArray: Education and training are tied to development of BB network and are performed in country • Start with internships and/or field camps (e.g., SAGE) Potential funding sources: OAS? Fulbright? Private foundations? Oil companies? Can we get companies to contribute to a fund that will support geophysical education without specific quid pro quo considerations? • Can we emulate the IRIS internship program within Latin America and the Caribbean? • Who would teach at field camps? Where would internships take place?

  8. Monitoring & Hazard Assessment • Local faulting—large magnitude earthquakes can be produced by local faults—not just major subduction zones • Need high resolution bathymetry for tsunami forecasting • Monitoring faults—need to know rate of movement—continuous GPS studies • Seismic gaps/risk (NSF probably would not consider this a basic science question)

  9. Research:Moving beyond routine monitoring • Central America is already a MARGINS focus site. • "models of upper plate deformation" • How does subducting plate interact with over-riding plate? • Models of upper plate deformation and how it couples to variations in subducting slab (age, subducting seamounts, etc.) • Caribbean puzzles • Need to understand morphology of downgoing plate • What is the origin of the Caribbean plate and what is nature of lower crust? • Is Cocos ridge beginning of subduction? • Link between subduction earthquake and subsequent (several months later) local event which causes most of the damage—need stress modeling. Highlights importance of local earthquakes. • Flat slab subduction Assets needed/available • Ocean bottom seismographs • Long-term GPS monitoring • Need a pool of temporary instruments—seismic and GPS (partnership with UNAVCO?) • Chikyu riser drilling ship will need another target after it finishes drilling offshore Japan

  10. Funding partners & contacts National & Regional Funding • Mexico and Venezuela seem to be the only ones with a significant "NSF" equivalent—but are unlikely to support regional efforts (outside their home countries) • Mexico funds projects up to $500K— "National Council for Science and Technology" – the problem is, once you get money for equipment, that's it—no more funding for operations, data analysis, etc.  funding availability varies from country to country but more is needed Aid agencies (e.g., USAID, World Bank) • Requests need to come from countries in region, rather than from US research community • We could help coordinate proposals and provide technical “consulting” for networks • A project/proposal coordinated between a majority of countries in the region would probably be viewed favorably

  11. Funding partners & contacts (2) Electric companies? • ICE funds earthquake monitoring in Costa Rica Are there any new nuclear power plants planned for the region? Insurance companies? • Potential for catastrophic losses is great US-based funding • Limitations of research funding (US citizens, short-term, won’t pay for permanent equipment, not interested in monitoring) How can we facilitate? • Perhaps as a matchmaking service—to connect potential US and Central American and Caribbean PIs. • IRIS could conduct regional workshops to develop research proposals of mutual interest.

  12. Intra-regional scientific cooperation Need consortium to • conduct regional science workshops • provide robust, documented software • coordinate data exchanges/archiving • provide consultation for networks & equipment CASC UPRM/Puerto Rico Seismic Network CEPREDENAC SRU MIDAS

  13. Institutions Central American Seismic Center (CASC) • Collects data—including waveform and phase data—from all Central American nations • Univ of Costa Rica supplies funding for the one person who works at CASC UPRM - Puerto Rico Seismic Network • Has stable funding, established network, technical staff, bilingual personnel, associated with degree-granting department SRU – Seismic Research Unit of the University of the West Indies • Monitors seismic and volcanic activity in English-speaking Eastern Caribbean • Has stable funding involving 8 states CEPREDENAC • Began as a scientific/technical organization but has lost that focus

  14. MIDASThe MIDdle America Seismology Partnership

  15. MIDASThe MIDdle America Seismology Partnership Mexico Centro de Investigación Científica y Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE) Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Instituto de Geofísica Costa Rica Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) Central America Seismic Center (CASC) Guatemala Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología Honduras Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Departamento de Física Nicaragua Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales Panamá Instituto de Geociencias, Universidad de Panamá Cuba Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Sismológicas Jamaica University of the West Indies-Mona (UWI-Mona) Dominican Republic U Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Instituto Sismologico Universitario (ISU) Dominica Dominica Public Seismological Network Guadeloupe Observatoire Volcanologique de la Soufriere (OVS) Martinique Observatoire Volcanologique de la Montagne Pelee Montserrat Monserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) Trinidad and Tobago U West Indies, Seismic Research Unit Colombia Red Sismológica Nacional de Colombia Universidad del Valle, Observatorio Sismológico del Sur Occidente (OSSO) Venezuela Fundación Venezolana de Investigaciones Sismológicas (FUNVISIS) La Red Sismológica de Los Andes Venezolanos (RedSAV) United States University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), NEIC

  16. Work Plan • Conduct inventory of stations, networks, personnel (Include detailed characteristics of instruments (type, short-period, long-period, BB, three-comp't), resolution of digitizer, how data are delivered, sample rates, etc.) • Identify stations/equipment that could be upgraded, repaired, or refurbished with a little money and then, perhaps, tie upgrade funds to commitment to contribute data. • Hold a workshop this year to hash out science problems and write a proposal. • Target is NSF's PIRE program, plus oil companies, and will facilitate proposals to USAID from the region's countries themselves.

  17. Station inventory

  18. Need names & addresses Please send email to Lindsay Wood if you would like to be kept informed of progress of this working group

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