Alaska Seismic Network

Alaska Seismic Network
Name	Alaska Seismic Network
Abbrev	ASN
Established	1971
Operator	University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute
Region	Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Arctic
Stations	~200

Alaska Seismic Network The Alaska Seismic Network is a regional seismic monitoring system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute that records earthquakes across Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and adjacent Arctic waters. It provides real-time seismic data to national agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and supports research at institutions including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, California Institute of Technology, and the University of Washington.

Overview

The network contributes continuous seismic observations to global and regional platforms like the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, the Global Seismographic Network, and the International Seismological Centre, enabling studies by researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Columbia University, Princeton University, and Harvard University. It interfaces with tsunami warning systems run by Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, National Weather Service, and Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and feeds seismic catalogs used by agencies such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of the Interior.

History and Development

Origins trace to early seismic observations by the United States Geological Survey and field campaigns linked to the Good Friday Earthquake investigations and postwar geophysical surveys involving the Institute of Polar Studies and the Geological Survey of Canada. Expansion accelerated after collaborations with the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, and projects with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Army Corps of Engineers. Key historical milestones involved partnerships with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the National Research Council (United States), and exchanges with the University of Alaska Anchorage and the Alaska Earthquake Center.

Network Infrastructure and Instruments

The array comprises a mix of broadband seismometers, strong-motion sensors, and accelerometers supplied by manufacturers used by Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, Stavanger Geophysical Company, and vendors common to Kinemetrics and Nanometrics. Stations are installed in logistics support from ports such as Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak, and remote support via Utqiaġvik and the Aleutian chain. Power and communications rely on satellite links from providers partnering with Iridium Communications, local microwave relays near Nome, and fiber connections tied into infrastructure in Juneau.

Monitoring and Data Processing

Data are digitized, time-stamped with GPS clocks linked to GPS, and transmitted to processing centers at the Geophysical Institute and backups coordinated with the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network. Automated event detection uses algorithms developed in collaboration with researchers at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Carnegie Institution for Science, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. Processed products inform situational awareness for the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys and feed into models used by the National Centers for Environmental Information and the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.

Seismicity and Notable Events

The region monitored includes the subduction zone beneath the Aleutian Trench, the transform features near the Queen Charlotte Fault, and intraplate settings adjacent to the Denali Fault and the Fairweather Fault. Notable seismic events recorded encompass the 1964 Good Friday earthquake investigations, large earthquakes near Prince William Sound, the 1996 Andreanof Islands earthquake sequence, volcanic seismicity at Mount Spurr, Novarupta, Redoubt Volcano, and swarms associated with Shishaldin Volcano. The network has documented aftershock sequences studied in partnership with investigators at Brown University, Yale University, University of California, Santa Cruz, and Oregon State University.

Research and Applications

Data support tectonic, volcanic, and cryoseismic research by groups at University of California, Los Angeles, University of Michigan, University of Texas at Austin, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Applications include earthquake early warning research carried out with Center for Engineering Strong Motion Data, tsunami modeling with University of Hawaii at Manoa, permafrost and glacial quake studies coordinated with National Snow and Ice Data Center and British Antarctic Survey, and hazard assessment used by Alaska Native corporations and emergency planners in Kodiak Island Borough and Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Operations, Funding, and Collaboration

Operational funding derives from federal grants administered by the National Science Foundation, cooperative agreements with the United States Geological Survey, and contracts with state entities such as the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Collaborative governance involves memoranda with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, partnerships with NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, and technical exchange with international agencies including the Geological Survey of Canada and research centers such as University of Tokyo and Geological Survey of Japan. Training and outreach engage stakeholders at Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the Community and Regional Affairs offices, and educational programs with Juneau School District and the Alaska Earthquake Center.

Category:Seismology Category:Geophysical institutes Category:Earthquake engineering