PBO Facility Construction: Borehole Network Completed

The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), part of the larger NSF-funded EarthScope program, will study the three-dimensional strain field resulting from active plate boundary deformation across the Western United States. The construction phase was completed on September 30, 2008. The strainmeter and seismic borehole network consisted of the reconnaissance, permitting, installation, documentation and maintenance of 80 deep boreholes and 16 shallow boreholes that have some combination of strainmeters, seismometers, tiltmeters, accelerometers, pore pressure transducers, GPS, and MET packs. Construction highlights will be presented including: Pacific Northwest, Yellowstone, Mendocino, Parkfield, Anza and others as well as summary of the technical and logistical hurdles along the way.