Science activity

Together with the USGS Menlo Park, the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory reports earthquake information within a few minutes of occurrence. The BSL operates several different networks and has expanded into a broader range of geophysical monitoring: BARD, BDSN, BBN, and HRSN. BARD is a network of 33 continuously operating Global Positioning System receivers in Northern California. The primary goal of the network is to monitor crustal deformation across the Pacific-North America plate boundary and in the San Francisco Bay Area for earthquake hazard reduction studies and rapid earthquake emergency response assessment. The Berkeley Digital Seismic Network (BDSN) is a regional network of very broadband and strong motion seismic stations spanning Northern California and linked to UC Berkeley through continuous telemetry. The network is designed to monitor regional seismic activity as well as to provide high quality data for research in regional and global broadband seismology. The network currently consists of 40 stations, including an ocean-bottom seismometer in Monterey Bay (MOBB). The BSL operate a number of stations in the Bay Area with seismic and other geophysical sensors in boreholes. They are tools for observing tiny earthquakes and other deformation signals that may hint of incipient seismic movements. The High-Resolution Seismic Network is an array of borehole instrumentation deployed in the Parkfield area, with the goal of monitoring microseismicity on the San Andreas fault.