EMScope Overview

EMScope is the magnetotelluric component of the National Science Foundation's EarthScope USArray program. This site serves as a community reference for planning and operations of USArray MT activities, as well as a portal to other resources available to the MT and seismic communities.

Within USArray, a set of seven permanent MT Backbone magnetotelluric stations are being installed in the continental USA by Oregon State University, with the collaboration at specific sites of Missouri State University, Virginia Tech University, University of California at Riverside and USGS. These will record data autonomously, and following a development effort will support real-time telemetry.

The MT Transportable Array comprises shorter-period investigations at hundreds of sites in the continental USA. Data from these sites will be collected on a regular schedule through recovery of data storage modules. MT Backbone and MT Transportable Array are supervised by Oregon State University, through a subcontract between OSU and the IRIS Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology. MT Transportable Array operations have been implemented in 2006 and 2007 through an award to Geosystems USA through a request for tender process overseen by IRIS. USArray magnetotelluric program management is by Dr. Gary Egbert of OSU (until July 2008) and then by Dr. Adam Schultz of OSU (from July 2008, onward). Oversight of EMScope activities is provided by the IRIS Electromagnetic Working Group (EMWoG).

Both MT Backbone and MT Transportable Array comprise the electromagnetic equivalents of the USArray seismic activities of the same names. While the seismic FlexArray has no strict equivalent within the US magnetotelluric community, a set of MT instruments is available for higher-resolution campaign-style investigations broadly equivalent to FlexArray - these are operated for the US magnetotelluric community by the EMSOC consortium. All relevant links are found in the frame to the left of this page.

For Backbone and Transportable Array operations, questions may be directed to Dr. A. Schultz at Oregon State University

(email: adam <at sign> coas.oregonstate.edu)

Information about the USArray seismic, geodetic and magnetotelluric facility is available on the USArray web site (see navigation frame to the left).

Information about the US National Facility for magnetotelluric instrumentation is available on the EMSOC consortium web site EMSOC consortium (see navigational frame to the left).