Quarterly Report to the Harry Reid Center

UCCSN-DOE Cooperative Agreement

Task ORD-FY04-006: Seismic Monitoring

PI: James N. Brune

UNR Seismological Laboratory

Report Period: 10/01/2003 – 12/31/2003

Progress:

During this reporting period (Oct.-Dec. 2003), we have maintained seismic operations with 30 real-time SGBDSN stations under the QA procedures that have been established with the HRC. Network uptime has been 99.7% overall.

As of this reporting date (01/20/2004), we have completed analyzing the earthquakes in the YM vicinity through December 31. No significant events occurred in this past quarter within the SGBDSN monitoring area.

The catalog of earthquakes for FY2003 has been assembled using the QA’d implementation procedures and software.

All preparations for installation of the three ESF accelerometers have been made, and these instruments will be installed shortly.

We have begun drafting a report on the preliminary observations with accelerometers at three boreholes on the ESF pad.

Problems:

None to report.

Status of Funds:

As of 12/31/2003, we had expended $318,909 on Task 6. This represents just 18% of the total appropriated, $1,726,548, whereas a linear drawdown of funds would be 25% after 3 months. Part of the reason for this underrun is that, due to the funding uncertainty in October-November, we used a conservative spending strategy. One large item, the $40,000 for the Antelope software license, was not purchased until January.

Plans:

In the next quarter (Jan.-Mar.) we plan to install the three accelerometers in the ESF tunnel. We also plan to hook up several of the geophones emplaced by LBNL in the sidewall of the ESF and prototype a system for collecting true-time data from the entire string of geophones. We will begin to build the assembly needed at well UZ-16 for holding solar power and electronic components and start software development for the data collection from seismometers in the UZ-16 well. We will draft a QA report on the FY2003 seismicity in the vicinity of YM, and finish drafting a QA report on preliminary findings at the borehole accelerometer array on the ESF pad.