The intern involved in this project will be involved in a unique, PASSCAL data set collected in southeastern Alaska from 2005 to the present. The seismic experiment was deployed as part of a multidisciplinary study funded by the NSF Continental Dynamics Program. The main scientific focus of that project is to consider a hypothesis that faulting in a tectonic region with extensive glaciation is linked to the glaciers. The basic idea is that glaciers are known to be strong erosion agents and it has been suggested that glaciers in southeastern Alaska simultaneously act like giant conveyor belts and like giant belt sanders to remove rock and carry it out to sea. An important goal of the seismic experiment was to provide more precision earthquake locations in this region to provide a clearer image of the 3d geometry of active faults in this region. Previous seismic station coverage in this area was very sparse. The new PASSCAL stations have made a dramatic improvement in the coverage to improve earthquake locations.
The student working on this project will provide improved measurements of seismic wave arrival times using a new, state-of-the-art analysis program that performs what we call source-array processing. A graphical user interface has been developed that will facilitate this data processing. The initial part of the project will involve making these measurements with this new tool. After the improved measurements are completed the student will apply a novel 3d location that should provide a major improvement in earthquake locations from this frontier area. Finally, the student will use 3d visualization tools to interpret the results in relation to geologic structures obtained by the structural geology group. Two specific preliminary results that need to be evaluated are a fault dipping northward under Mt St Elias that may be the main active system building that part of the range. The second is a suspected active fault beneath the Bering Glacier. If these structures can be clarified it will strongly support the hypothesis linking glaciers to erosion as preliminary results suggest both faults daylight under major glaciers.

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