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Six decades of seismology at South Pole, Antarctica: Current limitations and future opportunities to facilitate new geophysical observations

March 31, 2021

Seismograms from the South Pole have been important for seismological observations for over six decades by providing (until 2007) the only continuous seismic records from the interior of the Antarctic continent. The South Pole, Antarctica station has undergone many updates over the years, including conversion to a digital recording station as part of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN) in 1991 and being relocated to multiple deep (⁠>250  m>250  m⁠) boreholes 8 km away from the station in 2003 (and renamed to Quiet South Pole, Antarctica [QSPA]). Notably, QSPA is the second most used GSN station by the National Earthquake Information Center to pick phases used to rapidly detect and locate earthquakes globally, and has been used for a variety of glaciological and oceanography studies. In addition, it is the only seismic station on the Earth where low‐frequency (⁠>2  km>2  km depth) of the Antarctic ice cap, which could lead to unprecedented seismic observations at long periods and facilitate a broad spectrum of Earth science studies.

Publication Year 2021
Title Six decades of seismology at South Pole, Antarctica: Current limitations and future opportunities to facilitate new geophysical observations
DOI 10.1785/0220200448
Authors Robert Anthony, Adam Ringler, M. DuVernois, K. Anderson, David Wilson
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Seismological Research Letters
Index ID 70221873
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Geologic Hazards Science Center
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