Puerto Rico Seismic Network
http://redsismica.uprm.edu/english/
Contact
Address
Department of Geology
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
Telephone
Regional Partners
- CENAIS: Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Sismológicas, Cuba.
- CSEM-EMSC: European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
- FUNVISIS: Fundación Venezolana de Investigaciones Sismológicas, Venezuela.
- GEOFON: Centro Alemán de Investigaciones en Geociencias, Alemania.
- INGEOMINAS: Instituto Colombiano de Geología y Minería, Colombia.
- INPRES: Instituto Nacional de Prevención Sísmica, Argentina.
- INETER: Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales, Nicaragua.
- INSIVUMEH: Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología, Guatemala.
- IPGP: Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Francia.
- ISU: Instituto Sismológico Universitario, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, República Dominicana.
- IGEPN: Instituto Geofísico del Ecuador, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Ecuador.
- IGP: Instituto Geofísico del Perú, Perú.
- JSN: Jamaica Seismograph Network, Jamaica.
- NOAA WCATWC: West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, Alaska, USA.
- NOAA PTWC: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, Hawaii, USA.
- OBSIS: Observatório Sismológico, Universidad de Brasilia , Brasil.
- OVSICORI: Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica, Costa Rica.
- Puerto Rico Seismic Network
- RESNOM: Red Sísmica Nacional del Noroeste de México, México.
- SRC: Seismic Research Center, University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago.
- SNET: Servicio Nacional de Estudios Territoriales, El Salvador.
- SSN: Servicio Sismológico Nacional de México, Universidad Autónoma de México, México.
- USGS/NEIC: United States Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center, USA.
- USGS-Volcano: United States Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program, USA.
Mission
The Puerto Rico Seismic Network (PRSN) is the regional authority for monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis in the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. It was set up in 1974 by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA). The original objective of the network was to evaluate the local seismicity for the construction of the Aguirre and Islote nuclear power plants. This goal was accomplished in 1979. It was operated by the Center for Energy and Environment Research of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM) between 1982 and 1987 when it was transferred to the Department of Geology of UPRM.
With funds from the University of Puerto Rico, the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico State Emergency Management Agency, NOAA, FEMA, USGS and NSF, the Puerto Rico Seismic Network has been expanding its operations for both regional earthquake monitoring and tsunami early-warning. It is staffed 24/7 since March 2008. Its primary objective is to provide timely and reliable earthquake and tsunami information and warning for Puerto Rico and the US and British Virgin Islands. It operates and monitors a network of Seismic-GPS-Tide Gauge stations. The integrated network consists 17 broadband (20 to 360 seconds) and 7 short period (1 - 2 Hz) seismic stations, 9 permanent GPS stations, and 17 tide gauge stations (Figures 1 and 2) located in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic. A GSN station is also located in Cayey, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Strong Motion Program, also at the UPRM, operates almost 100 free field strong motion stations throughout Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Dominican Republic, which have real time or dial up capabilities and can be accessed by the PRSN. The GPS stations are co-located with broadband and strong motion sensors and closely-spaced with tide gauge stations.