[IRIS] (Job) USGS Mendenhall Postdoctoral Opportunity at NEIC

[IRIS]

2008 U.S. Geological Survey Mendenhall Postdoctoral Opportunity at NEIC

Improved earthquake monitoring using seismic array data

The USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) has monitored  
global earthquake occurrence for over 80 years. During that interval,  
the NEIC has moved from manually reading seismic phase arrivals from  
paper records to digital signal processing of real-time data. The  
next phase in this evolution is the use of multi-element arrays for  
rapid earthquake detection and source characterization. Starting in  
2006, by agreement of the national delegations, the NEIC is receiving  
all primary data from the International Monitoring System (IMS) of  
the U.N. Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in its  
role as part of the United States National Data Authority along with  
the Air Force Technical Applications Center (AFTAC). This includes  
numerous high-quality small- and medium-aperture seismic arrays  
around the world. We seek to better understand how to use these data,  
and implement new approaches to do so, both for global monitoring of  
earthquake occurrence and rapid estimates of critical source  
parameters needed for accurate impact assessments used by the  
emergency response community.

The societal impact of an earthquake depends not only on location  
(including focal depth) and magnitude, but also on a number of other  
earthquake source parameters (e.g., directivity, slip, rupture speed,  
source dimension). The question then becomes: How do we extract these  
relevant source parameters from the seismic wave-field as expressed  
by a spatially compact suite of digitally recorded seismograms? High- 
quality seismic arrays have been in existence for several decades.  
During that time, a number of methodologies for extracting source and  
propagation information have been developed. It is likely that  
several of these could be adapted for real-time earthquake monitoring  
purposes by the NEIC.

We seek a candidate who will not only investigate the possibility of  
adapting existing methodologies, but will actively investigate and  
develop new, innovative array-processing techniques. Possible areas  
of research include, but are not limited to, improved earthquake  
detection capabilities (including aftershocks), source directivity,  
seismic rupture process, and seismic phase identification and  
enhancement. Due to the rollout of USArray, and because of innovative  
research (supported by the USGS) to image the rupture process of the  
devastating M9.1 Sumatra earthquake using array-like methods on a  
collection of single stations, a new generation of seismologists is  
being trained in methods in which the NEIC lacks capability.

Through the ShakeMap and Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for  
Response (PAGER) research efforts, the U.S. Geological Survey is  
attempting to rapidly assess the scope and impact of earthquake  
disasters. The use of seismic array data to extract higher-order  
information about the seismic source will have a large effect on the  
timeliness and accuracy of these assessments. This, in turn, directly  
contributes to the expansion and upgrading of USGS monitoring  
capabilities and provides crucial information to earthquake rapid  
response teams and other disaster response organizations. For  
example, rapid knowledge of rupture dimensions and slip not only  
helps constrain the distribution of damaging shaking, but provides  
input into stress transfer assessments and tsunami source modeling  
for more accurate tsunami warnings.

Proposed Duty Station: Golden, CO

Areas of Ph.D.: Seismology, geophysics

Qualifications: Applicants must meet one of the following  
qualifications:  Research Geophysicist

  (This type of research is performed by those who have backgrounds  
for the  occupations stated above. However, other titles may be  
applicable depending  on the applicant's background, education, and  
research proposal. The final  classification of the position will be  
made by the Personnel specialist.)

Research Advisor(s): Harley Benz, (303) 273-8497, benz at usgs.gov;  
Stuart Sipkin, (303) 273-8415, sipkin at usgs.gov ; David Wald, (303)  
273-8441, dwald at usgs.gov


Personnel Office contact: Kathleen Scheich, (303)  
236-9581,kscheich at usgs.gov


GENERAL INFORMTION:    http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/2008/ 
research.html

SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITY:  http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/2008/opps/ 
opp13.html

Deadline for application: November 15, 2006
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