Geophysical Surveys in Carson Valley

Thank you very much for assisting our survey staff in their work. This geophysical survey is a detailed look at the history of mountain-building in western Nevada. Survey results will also tie into how the strength of earthquake shaking might vary across the area.

University of Nevada staff and students will be making geophysical measurements in Carson Valley during March and April, 2002. Your support of their survey will help geologists describe the origin of the Valley's spectacular landscape, and help the community become better prepared for possible natural hazards. Please let the survey staff know if you would like to receive a copy of our technical report, in a few months.

Survey staff will carry University identification. Our contractors will They may ask you for permission to temporarily access your property or outside your business to make geophysical measurements. They may also need to park their vehicle temporarily in your lot. Survey staff have Workers Compensation coverage, and our equipment is insured against accidental loss; you only need to grant us access at our own risk.

Survey staff may need to move a small amount of rock or soil for the sensor. They will only need to disturb an area the size of a dinner plate, and they will replace any turf or landscape materials they move. If they drive a spike through asphalt, they will patch the hole. The sensor will be in place for no more than eight hours, and then will be removed.

This survey is being conducted by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory and the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno. It is sponsored in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation. For more information on this survey and its results, please check http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/gardnerville/. For more information on earthquakes in Nevada, please see www.seismo.unr.edu.

Sincere Thanks,
John N. Louie, Assoc. Professor of Seismology
louie@seismo.unr.edu; 775-784-4219