TELESEISMIC DATA ACQUISITION ON THE COASTAL PLAIN OF NORTH CAROLINA

The Coastal Plain physiographic province comprises numerous coastal counties in southeastern and eastern U.S. states including the Embayed, Sea Island, Floridan, East Gulf Coastal Plain, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and West Gulf Coastal Plain sections. This province is characterized by several kilometers of unconsolidated terrigenous sediments which overly much of the bedrock. Direct measurements of location, orientation, and relative motion of fault components in this region are ineffective or impossible. Thus, many studies incorporate indirect observations using magnetic and gravity based techniques to derive general characteristics of the subsurface. As such, passive seismic data acquired must be of the highest resolution to increase our current understanding of earthquake epicenter location and slip frequency in the coastal plain. This project will seek to optimize the distribution of regional teleseismic monitoring network stations by assessing quantitatively the attributes of passive seismic data in the coastal plain near Wilmington, North Carolina. The purpose of this study is to (1) determine magnitude of dominant noise frequencies from passive seismicity that characterize background noise in the area of interest (AOI); (2) monitor plate motion through GPS campaign surveying; (3) compare observations from this pilot study to data acquired at regional stations in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia; and (4) determine whether the University of North Carolina Wilmington should establish a permanent seismic monitoring network and be an affiliate of the IRIS and ANSS programs. Furthermore, as an aspiring geoscientist, I hope to increase my understanding of geophysics and seismic networks by installing a seismometer, retrieving data, and reducing and interpreting seismologic data.