A vision for ANSS in Idaho
Idaho Bureau of Disaster Services
April 2002

The Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) is a program of the United States Geological Survey to create a national network of seismic stations to deliver realtime  information about damaging earthquakes as well as research data to better understand seismicity and hence assist emergency managers in preparing for and reducing losses from earthquakes. ANSS provides an opportunity for Idaho to establish a statewide virtual network to collect  and interpret seismic information, and report on those interpretations. Since such capability is vital to the physical and economic well-being of Idaho, the state’s emergency management organization, the Bureau of Disaster Services, proposes this vision for implementing ANSS in the state. 

Current situation:

All of Idaho is at risk from earthquakes. Hundreds of small events are recorded every year (Map), and every twenty years a larger event has occurred that has damaged property and twice taken human lives.  While most earthquakes occur in less-populated areas, all of Idaho’s urban areas are surrounded by active faults (Fault Map) and are thus exposed to seismic shaking. Even moderate earthquakes could cause extensive damage to buildings and infrastructure built before the building codes of the 1990’s. In all cases there are sizeable inventories of buildings that do not have the strength to withstand even moderate shaking. Given the rapid growth of these areas, more population is exposed to losses of property, health, and life. Vital transportation routes can be blocked by landslides induced by seismic activity, and many dams are built near, sometimes very near, known faults. 

Since damaging quakes do not occur often and have in the past not created enormous losses, Idaho has not made seismic safety a priority. As a result there is no state-run or state-coordinated monitoring of seismic activity. There are 11 institutions that operate seismometers or calculate earthquake locations within Idaho (List). However, no single organization covers the entire state at a magnitude level less than 3.5 or with high-precision locations.  

Since the networks are run by different organizations, there are issues of availability and communications with regard to obtaining data, especially interpreted data essential for both quantification of the hazard and emergency response. 

The current situation in Idaho can be characterized as a challenging mix of denial of the hazard, recalcitrance of certain interests, politics of network fiefdoms, lack of a seismic advisory committee, and—of course—budget constraints. All have a negative impact on emergency management in terms of public awareness awareness, preparedness, response, and loss reduction. 

ANSS provides an opportunity to revitalize seismic monitoring, acquire and interpret data to characterize the hazard, motivate funding, and enhance emergency management in its tasks of preparedness, loss reduction, and response. To capitalize on this opportunity, an organizational structure needs to be established to both participate in ANSS and effect emergency management capability. 

The ideal organization

The ideal organization would see direction  for ANSS activities as well as other seismic issues falling under a state seismic safety advisory committee. The Idaho Geological Survey is designated by statute as the lead agency for the collection and dissemination of geologic data and has offices in Moscow at the University of Idaho, in Boise at Boise State University, and in Pocatello at Idaho State University. The IGS maintains a direct contact with the U.S. Geological Survey and also an active role in the Association of American State Geologists and the Western States Seismic Policy Council. Therefore, the technical portions of ANSS would be coordinated by the Idaho Geological Survey through a staff seismologist independent of network affiliation. Outputs would include: 

• Real-time alerts to the emergency management community (Bureau of Disaster Services, Idaho Department of Water Resources, Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho State Police, Department of Environmental Quality, and county government)
• Data for geoscientists, engineers, and land-use planners
• Hazard information for business and government contingency planners
• Information for educators, students, and citizens

The seismic safety advisory and the Idaho Geological Survey staff seismology would be funded by continuing state appropriations. 

The interim organization

Given the current situation, this ideal organization is many years in the future. The vision for ANSS in Idaho includes an interim organization jointly coordinated by the Bureau of Disaster Services and the Idaho Geological Survey. The Bureau of  Disaster Services will contract with Boise State University to provide coordination of technical aspects, monitoring of statewide seismicity, and alerts. Under this contract we will also provide input to two regional ANSS technical groups—in Seattle and Salt Lake City. The Bureau of Disaster Services will coordinate user input and provide this to the regional ANSS coordinating groups. 

Short-term objectives

Short-term objectives are to move Idaho into position to participate in the regional ANSS committees. The following tasks have been identified to accomplish these objectives: 

• Establish advisory groups of network operators and data users
• Establish a framework for collecting, interpreting, and reporting seismic activity statewide
• Facilitate upgrades to individual networks to facilitate sharing of data 

 The paramount object is to provide more  data and convincing data for hazard awareness. Only an acceptance of a real and present seismic hazard will lead to realizing an effective organization for supporting seismic safety and research in Idaho. 

1. Establish advisory groups of network operators and data users. A workshop in Boise in January 2002 brought together state agencies, members of an earthquake safety advisory begun under a FEMA Project Impact grant to Boise, and most of the operators in Idaho to acquaint potential advisory group members about ANSS and the challenges that Idaho faces in earthquake awareness as well as participation in ANSS. Similar workshops will be held in other parts of the state. Participation in a state advisory will be solicited from attendees. The Bureau of Disaster Services will chair the advisory and will coordinate with ANSS user committees. The Idaho Geological Survey will  coordinate with ANSS operator committees. 

2. Establish a framework for collecting, interpreting, and reporting seismic activity statewide. The Bureau of Disaster Services is ready to contract with Boise State University (BSU) to: 

§        Implement an internet-based near-real-time reporting system (“Earthworm,” developed by the United States Geological Survey)

§        Monitor surrounding networks

§        Provide notification to emergency managers regarding location and magnitude of individual events or implications of interpreted events

 3. Facilitate upgrades to individual networks to assist sharing of data. Monitored networks will require the capability to share data via Earthworm. Hardware and software may need to be acquired. Equipment may need to be upgraded or replaced, to accommodate digital systems. For example, the BYU-Idaho network has a need for modernized seismometers. A key network for monitoring activity in southwest Idaho is the BSU network, but only two of its stations are operating and the network server is inoperative. The University of Idaho’s northern Idaho network needs to be online to provide near-realtime data. 

 Locating funding for these projects will be most effective if it is a cooperative effort, which should be a fallout from the advisory groups. Both universities’ commitment to their networks needs to be revisited in terms of seismic safety as a public duty as well as an important research tool. 

 Timeline for achieving short-term objectives. Regional workshops completed and advisories constituted by September 2002. Earthworm in place by Spring 2003. Additional funding for hardware and software by Summer 2003.

 Long-term objectives 

Self-sufficiency, continuity, expansion of publics served will be addressed by the advisory groups, as will be strategies to migrate to the ideal organization described above. As ANSS expands, more opportunities can be  realized to benefit seismic safety in the state of Idaho.

Institutions that monitor earthquakes in and near Idaho

Boise State University
BYU-Idaho (Ricks College)
Geological Survey of Canada
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory
Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
U. S. Bureau of Reclamation 
U. S. Geological Survey 
University of Idaho   
University of Nevada – Reno
University of Utah 
University of Washington