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Abstract:
Regional seismic networks play an extremely important role in both the seismic coverage of a nation, but also in the education, outreach, and science support of that region. The proto-Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) started out in the late 1960s to improve seismic-monitoring coverage after several M>6 earthquakes in 30 years in the US state of Washington. Over the decades, the network grew in both number of stations and geographical coverage as well as adding significant items of scope that are harder to quantify such as communicating with the press and proactively educating the public about hazards and seismic safety. Today the PNSN uses data from over 650 seismic stations (~ 560 that we operate and maintain). We share 100% of our data and earthquake catalog with scientists and the public, contribute to the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning program, maintain active social media presences, give presentations at workshops, libraries, and community centers in addition to hosting onsite tours of school children and adults in our Seismology Lab. But the challenges are still great with respect to obtaining funding, fighting misinformation, and attempting to stay relevant when earthquakes happen on geologic timescales, but American minds are growing more accustomed to TikTok-length stories to fill up the daily infotainment void. This presentation will discuss the strategy for success: leveraging the strengths of graduate student work, the creativity of our undergraduate workers, the determination and persistence of the full-time staff, and the knowledge resources of our fellow regional networks across the United States.
