Rapid GNSS and Data Communication System Deployments In Chile and Argentina Following the M8.8 Maule Earthquake

Because the signal is so big, great earthquakes allow us to make quantum leaps in our understanding of Earth deformation process and material properties. The Maule earthquake, with its occurrence near a large subaerial landmass and the large numbers of instruments available to study it, will surely become one of the most important geophysical events in modern memory. Much of the important signal, however, decays and changes rapidly in the short-term following the event and so a rapid response is necessary. Actually delivering the data from the CGPS response stations, however, represents an intellectual challenge in terms of properly matching the engineering realities with the scientific desiderata. We expect multiple major science advances to come from these data: (1) Understanding earthquake and tsunami-genesis via use of the coseismic displacement field to create the most well-constrained fault slip and tsunami-genesis models. (2) The role of stress loading on both the principal thrust plane and subsidiary planes. (3) The relationship between fault afterslip to the main event as well as to the distribution of aftershocks (4) Study of large aftershocks jointly using conventional seismology and high-rate GPS coseismic displacement seismogram. (5) Rheological behavior of the fault interface. (6) The mechanical response of the bulk earth to large stress perturbations. Within 10 days of the earthquake 20 complete GPS systems were delivered by UNAVCO personnel to IGM and OSU staff in Santiago, and 5 were shipped via diplomatic pouch to Argentina. Consisting of of 10 Trimble NetRS and 15 Topcon GB-1000 receivers, the units were deployed througout the affected area during the following three weeks, using welded-in-place steel tripod monuments driven into soil or drilled into bedrock, or steel masts. Additional GPS hardware was procured from cooperating institutions and donated by GPS manufacturers, and a total of 43 post-earthquake GPS stations are continuously operating in the epicentral area. UNAVCO has developed and deplyed standalone data communications systems at 25 of the stations: (1) the satellite-based Inmarsat Broad Global Area Service (BGAN), (2) ground based cellular internet services provided by a number of telecom companies in Chile and Argentina. Cellular service is economical but prone to disruptions following earthquakes and coverage is limited. BGAN is expensive but robust and globally available. This communication plan has allowed for daily downloads of 15 sec. data and of 1 sec. data recorded during aftershocks of M6.5 and greater. RINEX files from these stations are publicly available at the UNAVCO Facility Archive immediately after data are downloaded, a first for Event Response GPS data. This effort will serve as the type example in the geodetic community for rapid CGPS data communications following a destructive earthquake. The communications system hardware purchased during this response will become part of the UNAVCO pool after one year and will be available for future PI projects and event responses.