| Middle America Seismograph Consortium
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MIDAS minutes of meeting
Sixth Assembly of the MIDAS Consortium, Kingston, Jamaica, December 9-11, 1997.
Participants:
Ray Buland, United States Geological Survey (USGS), U.S.A.
Eduardo Camacho, Universidad de Panama (UP), Panama
Jorge R. Del Pino, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Sismologicas (CENAIS),
Cuba
Luis O. Gomez, Instituto Nacional de Recursos Hidraulicos (INDRI), Dominican
Republic
Fernando Guasch, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Sismologicas, Cuba
Christa v. Hillebrandt, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico; Escuela
Politecnica Nacional de Ecuador, Ecuador
Lloyd Lynch, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
Gustavo Malave, Instituto Tecnologico Venezolano del Petroleo (INTEVEP),
Venezuela
Carlos Mendoza, United States Geological Survey (USGS), U.S.A.
Alvaro H. Nieto, Instituto de Investigaciones en Geociencias, Mineria y Quimica
(INGEOMINAS), Colombia
David A. Novelo, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico
Michael Schmitz, Fundacion Venezolana de Investigaciones Sismicas (FUNVISIS),
Venezuela
Randall Updike, United States Geological Survey (USGS), U.S.A.
Margaret Wiggins-Grandison, University of West Indies, Jamaica
Invited Guest:
James Tanner, Panamerican Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH), Canada
1. Before initiating the meeting, the General (D. Novelo) and Technical (M.
Wiggins-Grandison) Secretarys welcomed all attendees, and representatives
introduced themselves for the benefit of first-time participants.
2. C. Mendoza recapitulated the history of the organization and bylaws of
MIDAS.
3. D. Novelo provided a summary of what MIDAS has achieved during its seven
years as a Consortium. Some of the main achievements are: (1) An increase
of broadband stations in the region; (2) A MIDAS home page; (3) The exchange
of seismic data; (4) Report of large and significant earthquakes a few
minutes after their occurrence; (5) Installation of a MIDAS broadband station
at Panama; (6) Elaboration of a seismicity map of the Middle America region
(in progress); (7) Establishment of a MIDAS Data Center in Puerto Rico (in
progress).
4. Representatives of participant countries reported the status of their seismic
networks:
Cuba: Presented the project for deploying a new local seismic network which
includes six broadband stations, three regional digital short-period
networks (with a total of 20 stations), some strong motion instruments
and a data center in Santiago. The acquisition of the equipment was
initiated last year and deployment of stations will begin in 1998.
Colombia: Described the National Seismic Network which includes satellite
transmission of about 20 digital short-period instruments. One
broadband station is now operating in the country.
Dominican Republic: A new local digital short-period seismic network will be
installed during 1998.
Ecuador: It was reported that the Galapagos Islands was recently
instrumented with a seismic network with short-period vertical stations
connected via INTERNET.
Jamaica: Explained the program for renewing the National Seismic Network.
Eight new digital short-period stations are now operating. In addition,
three accelerographs and one broadband sensor will be deployed in 1998.
The broadband instrument was provided by Puerto Rico as part of the
agreements of the fourth MIDAS meeting.
Mexico: Pointed out that eighteen broadband stations are currently operating
in the country. Data from the stations of Tepich (TEIG), La Paz (LPIG),
and Ciudad Universitaria (CUIG) will be available to MIDAS
institutions.
Panama: Presented the status of the regional program for installing at least
one broadband station in each country of Central America. The program
considers Panama: 1 (operating); Costa Rica: 2 (operating); Nicaragua:
2; Honduras 1 (operating); El Salvador:1; and Guatemala: 1.
Puerto Rico: At present, two broadband stations are working. The goal is to
install a total of nine of these BB stations. Besides, a digital
short-period network of 14 stations is operating. Three of these
stations are three-component.
United States of America: The National Seismograph Network is 90% operating.
All southern stations will be available to MIDAS institutions.
Venezuela: About 40 short-period stations are currently operating. One
broadband station is working in Santo Domingo. There are plans to
install about 50 conventional and 120 strong motion instruments in the
near future.
5. Jorge del Pino presented the "BATMAN" (Bartlett Cayman Trough Monitoring and
Analysis Network) project. MIDAS was asked to consider including, among
its objectives, the promotion of geodynamical research projects of which
BATMAN could be the first one. The participants agreed to revise the
situation at the next MIDAS meeting.
6. C. von Hillebrandt presented a general view of MIDAS Web Page which contains
the following sections:
General information on MIDAS
MIDAS Institutions with corresponding links
MIDAS Statutes and Bylaws
MIDAS Executive Committee
List of short period and broadband seismic stations
Seismicity of Middle America
Significant earthquakes of Middle America (magnitude or intensity greater
than 6.0).
For more details, participants were invited to access:
http://rmsismo.upr.clu.edu/midas
Funds to develop the MIDAS web page for data collection and information
dissemination were provided by the USGS.
7. Delegates and alternates for MIDAS were designated:
Institution/Country Delegate Alternate (s)
CENAIS/Cuba Fernando Guasch Enrique Arango/Jorge del Pino
INGEOMINAS/Colombia Alvaro Nieto Julian Escallon
INDRI/Dominican Rep. Luis O. Gomez Ramon Gomez
UWI/Jamaica Margaret Wiggins Ernest T. Parkes
UNAM/Mexico David A. Novelo Carlos Valdes
UP/Panama Eduardo Camacho Jaime Toral
UPR/Puerto Rico Christa v. Hillebrandt Victor Huerfano
UWI/Trinidad & Tobago Lloyd Lynch Joan Latchman
USGS/USA Carlos Mendoza Bruce Presgrave
FUNVISIS/Venezuela Michael Schmitz Herbert Rendon/Gloria Romero
INTEVEP/Venezuela Gustavo Malave Heriberto Echezuria
8. James Tanner presented a description of the PAIGH seismic catalogue which
will be used as database for the MIDAS seismicity map. Jim explained the
main results of the catalogue and answered all questions regarding this
project.
9. Carlos Mendoza presented a prototype of the MIDAS Seismicity Map and asked
participants to consider minor corrections. Some main characteristics of the
map are:
a) Boundary coordinates: 5 degrees south - 35 degrees north
50 deg - 120 degrees west
b) Physical size: 42 X 56 inches.
c) Seismicity Database: PAIGH catalog
d) Basemap: Color-coded topography, bathymetry
Cities with population greater than 25,000
e) Map Title in English, Spanish, and French.
f) Universal Mercator Projection.
10. Agreements:
10.1 To consider the possibility of transmitting data in real time via
internet from LaPaz, Mexico (LPIG), Panama (PAIG), and Trinidad and
Tobago broadband stations with the help of the USGS.
10.2 The MIDAS homepage will link to local networks homepage of participant
institutions and other resources for seismic data and information.
10.3 The following sections of the MIDAS webpage will be in English and
Spanish: Index Page; General Information, Statutes and Bylaws.
10.4 Each institution will send the following information to C. Hillebrandt
to be included on the MIDAS homepage:
a) Coordinates of all broadband and short period stations for which they
are responsible and the list of contributing MIDAS stations.
b) Type of instrumentation of the reported stations.
c) For earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater or for those events that
generate significant damage: phase arrivals of short period data and
broadband waveforms.
d) Data to update the PAIGH seismic catalogue.
10.5 Minutes from MIDAS meeting will be posted on the MIDAS homepage.
10.6 The title of the MIDAS Seismicity map will be "Caribbean Seismicity
1900-1994" and will be in English, Spanish, and French.
10.7 Proposals for a MIDAS logo will be accepted until February 28, 1998, via
the webpage. MIDAS will ask Randy Updike to review the entries and make
a decision on which one will be adopted as the official logo of MIDAS.
MIDAS will attempt to cover travel expenses to the next meeting for the
person whose entry is selected.
10.8 MIDAS will support the organization of the following activities:
a) An international meeting on "Seismicity and Tectonics of the
Caribbean Region and Recent Developments on Geophysical
Instrumentation" to be held in Santiago de Cuba, November, 1998.
b) A workshop on broadband data processing to be held jointly with
CEPREDENAC in Panama. A tentative date of March 1999 was set. A
proposal for funding will be submitted by Panama to PAIGH by May 15,
1998.
10.9 By the end of January 1998, MIDAS institutions should try to have
the Bylaws signed and should provide their views on the possibility of
paying membership fees to MIDAS. If adopted, these fees would be used
to advertise MIDAS and services of member institutions, training,
equipment dealers, etc.
10.10 The MIDAS IDENTITY will be promoted locally and internationally. A
brochure will be produced in the near future. To initiate these
activities, MIDAS posters will be presented at several conferences by:
a) M. Wiggins-Grandison at the Caribbean Geological Conference, to be
held in Jamaica, July 1998.
b) C. von Hillebrandt at the International Conference on "Modern
Preparation and Response Systems for Earthquake, Tsunami and
Volcanic Hazards", to be held in Chile, April 1998.
10.11 MIDAS will explore the possibility of signing agreements/Memoranda of
Understanding with other organizations e.g. USGS, PAIGH, CERESIS,
Association of Caribbean States.
10.12 L. Lynch and G. Malave will be in charge of preparing an annual MIDAS
newsletter.
10.13 C. Mendoza and D. Novelo will prepare an article about MIDAS to be
submitted to EOS or SRL.
10.14 C. Hillebrandt and C. Malave will prepare a MIDAS slide set on the
Cariaco, Venezuela, earthquake.
10.15 Besides membership fees, other mechanisms will be explored for funding
of MIDAS activities, such as consulting fees and advertising on the
MIDAS home page.
11. D.Novelo and C. Hillebrandt were appointed as President and General
Secretary of MIDAS, respectively. The MIDAS Executive Committee is the
following:
David A. Novelo, President
Carlos Mendoza, Vice-president
Christa v. Hillebrandt, General Secretary
Margaret Wiggins-Grandison, Technical Secretary
