In October and November 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey, Virginia Polytechnic
Institute, Stanford University, and Geometrics Corporation jointly acquired a highresolution
seismic reflection/refraction profile across the San Andreas Fault Zone (SAFZ)
and the proposed San-Andreas-Fault-Observatory-at-Depth (SAFOD) drill site located
near Parkfield, California (Fig. 1a). We refer to this seismic survey as the Parkfield
Seismic Imaging-Ninety Eight (PSINE) survey, the highest-resolution seismic survey yet
completed across the SAF in central California. This report, which presents acquisition
parameters and example shot gathers for the PSINE seismic survey, is intended to
provide necessary information for those who wish to use the PSINE data for research.
The PSINE survey is part of the proposed SAFOD investigation: a proposed study
to investigate physical and chemical properties and processes that control deformation
and earthquake generation within the SAF zone by drilling into the active trace of the
fault (Zoback et al., 1998; www.earthscope.org). Geological and geophysical
investigations are planned prior to, during, and after completion of the borehole. The
PSINE survey, which was one of the pre-drilling investigations, was designed to
determine the subsurface stratigraphic and structural relations in the vicinity of the
proposed drill site, to better locate the target fault zone within the subsurface, and to
image obstacles that may impede drilling. Data acquisition parameters, experiment setup,
and parameters needed to work with the PSINE data are provided in this report. The
PSINE data provide useful reflective images (Catchings et al., in prep; Rymer et al., in
prep; Hole et al.,) and velocity data (Catchings et al., 2002) in the vicinity of the SAFOD
drill site and the San Andreas fault.
