IU-led project will help scientists see into North America's rocky innards: IU News Room: Indiana University

Image courtesy of Earthscope, a National Science Foundation program

EarthScope Program scientists are deploying thousands of seismic, GPS, and other geophysical instruments to study the structure and evolution of the North American continent and the processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Shown is the complete grid of sensors that, used in concert, will give scientists the clearest picture yet of American geological phenomena.

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"The stable part of the Earth's mantle in our part of the world is the very basis for our continent, yet we know so little about it," said Principal Investigator Gary Pavlis, an IU Bloomington geophysicist. "This is about seeing the un-seeable, using brand new imaging tools and techniques. EarthScope is essentially an upside-down telescope that will allow us to look inside the Earth."

The latest installation of EarthScope convenes experts from IU Bloomington, the Indiana Geological Survey, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. About $700,000 of the grant total will stay in Bloomington.

IU-led project will help scientists see into North America's rocky innards: IU News Room: Indiana University