My name is Kevin Williams, I live in Boise and I am a student at the College of Western Idaho. I’m working on an associate degree in geology as well as a GIS certificate. My awesome geology professor told our class about the Cascadia 2021 project and motivated us to apply. I think seismology is a super interesting part of geology and I love fieldwork, so I knew this would be a great learning experience. During the node deployment, it was really fun to see updated maps showing just how many nodes we were all installing each day. My favorite part of the deployment was getting to explore tons of mountain roads that not many get to experience and seeing amazing views the whole time.
I’m a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis majoring in math and geophysics. I found out about the Cascadia2021 project while browsing summer research opportunities. Going into the project, I had a limited Earth science background and had spent no time in the field. Each day, I enjoyed getting to know my more experienced field partner, who was always eager to show me the ropes. I’m looking forward to what we will learn from the data!
I am a physics major entering my senior year of undergraduate studies at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, MI. This summer I am working with Dr. Kevin Ward through the IRIS internship program. I was excited to participate in the Cascadia 2021 project as part of my internship because this was my first fieldwork experience! Furthermore, I appreciate the opportunity to deploy and recover nodal geophones because the data I will be working with this summer was collected using the same instruments in Alaska two years ago.
I am a PhD student at Northern Arizona University studying the effects water has on subduction behavior offshore of the Alaska Peninsula. I received my B.S. in Geophysical Engineering from Montana Technological University in Butte, Montana and grew up in nearby cities. I was interested in this project because my thesis also involves investigating subduction dynamics but includes dominantly computer work without a field component, so I am glad to participate in the deployment and recovery of instruments for the Cascadia2021 project. The processes involved in the data collection and field work behind data helps me understand the entire project start to finish. My favorite aspect of field work is the ability to go through remote roads and trails that only a limited number of people have studied before.
I am a junior geophysics student who will be transferring to Western Washington University this fall. I found this project while researching summer internship opportunities. My favorite part of the project was getting to collect important data in such a beautiful area of the Oregon coast range.
I am a recent the University of Oregon graduate with a bachelors’ degree in General Science, focusing mainly on earth and environmental sciences. Throughout my undergrad, I worked with Professor Emilie Hooft on finding the subsurface seismic velocity structure of Santorini Volcano using tomographic inversions. The Cascadia2021 project allowed me to get into the field to place seismometers that future researchers will use for their tomographic inversions. Being able to round out my research experience with fieldwork and spend time in the Oregon Coast Range was an amazing experience.
Erin is a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle, and an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington. Erin’s research focuses on earthquake hazards associated with the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and the amplification of earthquake ground shaking in sedimentary basins. One of the aspects of this project that Erin is most excited about is using the data to constrain sedimentary basin structure, and how that will impact future earthquake ground shaking in the Tualatin Valley and Portland region.
Larry is a PhD Student, studying environmental instrumentation and sensor systems under Doug Toomey at the University of Oregon. He retired from the USAF in 2013 after serving 22 years as an Arabic Language Analyst. He earned two B.S. degrees in electronics engineering and physics in the years following his retirement. Larry is originally from York, PA, but has enjoyed posts across the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. He relocated to Eugene, OR from Augusta, GA with his wife and youngest daughter last year, so that he and his daughter can attend UO.
“What attracted me to earth sciences is the knowledge that my work can have immediate, beneficial impacts to large segments of society. Secondarily, I enjoy visiting new, remote places, and have a desire to spend more time outdoors in my occupation. In this study, I have traveled through and to more fascinating places in Oregon in two weeks than I would have in a whole year, all the while working with instruments and sensors with a view toward improving earthquake warning. Thank you, Emilie, for inviting me to play some small part in this effort.”
I heard about the Cascadia2021 Project through HSU’s Geology Department. My undergrad advisor, Dr. Laura Levy, sent an email about it to everyone in the Geology Department at Humboldt State. It’s difficult to pick one favorite thing. A few of my favorite parts about the fieldwork were being outdoors, activating the nodes and finally getting that “heartbeat” once installed, wildlife signs and sightings, and the recovery of the nodes. The node recovery was a bit like a treasure hunt since we had to use our notes, coordinates, and any photos taken to figure out where the nodes were buried at each site! The ‘heartbeat’ reference for activating the nodes is explained in this blog, but essentially once the seismometer is activated and acquires a GPS signal, the light on it flashes in a heartbeat pattern. Driving along sketchy wilderness and logging roads was definitely exciting as well! This whole project has been an exciting adventure!
Once, you’ve found the perfect site, you’re ready to begin deploying your node. When you first open a yellow overpack of six nodes, the nodes are in deep sleep; they must be woken up before they can begin collecting seismic data. To do this, you must use a handheld terminal or HHT for short – one of the key tools for successful node deployment. To wake up your node, attach a cable from the HHT to the node; unfortunately, node deployment is not wireless. That being said, an HHT has a variety of fancy features, which you will probably not use, but certainly add to the fun. They come equipped with a camera, flashlight, internet explorer, and we’ve been told you can even make phone calls. After getting distracted by all these other applications on your HHT, you finally come to the clock app, which you’ll use to jolt your node out of its slumber. No worries if you’re not tech-savvy, this app is quite intuitive. After physically connecting the node and HHT, simply tap (with your finger or the stylus) the “Wake Up RU” button. Once awake, the little light on top of your node will give off one red blink every five seconds. This means your node is still a little groggy, but no longer in deep sleep and therefore ready to be deployed.
To your site, you should bring your woken-up node, a shovel (and maybe other big digging tools), and a bucket of stuff. The essential packing list for this bucket is an HHT, a notebook and pen, a compass, a bubble level, your phone, and flagging. The non-essential packing list might include a hammer, rebar, sand, a trowel, gloves, and a wrench – though we probably won’t get into why you might use any of these things in this post. The first step is to get digging… which is also when you might realize that your site isn’t so perfect after all. It is a test of willpower that determines whether one might stay at their “perfect” site or opt for a place that’s a little easier to dig. A pickaxe can certainly help to break up rocks and roots in some tricky soil, but it can really only get you so far. Ultimately, you’ll need to end up with a hole that’s about ten inches deep.
Before plopping your node into its hole, use your compass to figure out where north is and orient your node such that the black arrow points toward geographic north. Before we leave, our compasses have been set to correct for the regional difference between magnetic north and geographic north. Softly, push the spike into the soil. Then, put the bubble level on top and try to level the node. Once it is level, give it one sharp push into the soil and check that it is still level. Then pack in the dirt around it and bury it, checking that it remains level and oriented to the north as you partially bury it.
Now, it’s time to use your HHT again. Connect the node to the HHT and open the app called “Field Tool Mobile,” which has a yellow cylindrical icon. Be patient! This app takes a while to get going. When it gets started you’ll be greeted by a bunch of yellow squares in the middle of the screen and a menu across the bottom. Begin by tapping the “GPS” button in the bottom menu and click “disconnect.” Each site has an associated HHT number, which you should have accessed online before heading out into the forest. Tap the “Map” button on the bottom menu and hit “Select line,” which will bring you to a different screen. From there, find the associated HHT number and hit “Okay.” The last step is to click the “RU” button in the bottom menu and then hit “Deploy.” The HHT will run a few tests and then pop up some numbers. As long as none of them read “NaN,” hit “Yes” to continue with deployment. The HHT woman will then speak to you: “Starting Operation.” At this point, you can disconnect the cable from the node.
It’s now just a waiting game. After the woman speaks, the light on top of the node will switch from its slow blink to a fast blink. When the node is officially deployed, it gets a heartbeat – a double blink that happens every five seconds. To get a heartbeat, the node has to get a GPS fix, which, when in deep forest, can be hard to come by. While waiting on the glorified heartbeat, there are a couple other tasks you can take care of. These include burying the node, dropping a waypoint on a GPS tracking application on your phone, flagging the site with yellow and orange ribbon, and taking some photos and thoughtful notes about your special site. In your notebook, you should write down the date, time, site name, HHT number, serial number, elevation, latitude, longitude. After taking care of all these tasks, check back on your node. If you have my luck, your node does not have heartbeats. At this point, you can carry your tools back to the car, go foraging for berries, take a hike, pick up trash, interact with the locals, go on a backpacking trip . . . and hopefully after all these activities, your little node will get its heartbeat – a deployment success!
Before departing, don’t forget to bury your node completely and snap a pic!
