Reflections on the Accomplishments of EarthScope’s USArray
USArray was the most ambitious and challenging geophysical experiment ever attempted in the United States. The unqualified success of USArray is a testimony to the professionalism and hard work of the TA staff and our university partners. One legacy of the Transportable Array is the over 200 stations adopted in the Lower 48 states now operated by USGS, regional seismic networks, and universities. The Alaska TA will operate through 2020 or 2021, and 43 stations are already funded for long-term operation by the Alaska Earthquake Center. Additional adoptions are being discussed with several other stakeholders. The most impressive legacy of USArray is undoubtedly the nearly 43 Tb of seismic and magnetotelluric data now archived at the IRIS Data Management Center and the hundreds of papers that have already been published using these data. In the years and decades to come, this unique and rich dataset will continue to be mined by countless researchers to test new scientific hypotheses, develop innovative methods of data analysis, and gain an improved understanding of the processes that shape our dynamic planet.
Article by Kasey Aderhold, Robert Busby, Perle Dorr, Andy Frassetto, Justin Sweet, Robert Woodward (all at Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, Washington, DC 20005) and published by EarthScope
