SCEC Borderland Working Group Science and Data Collection Objectives

Abstract

The problem of comprehensively understanding California Continental Borderland tectonics, structures, and seismic hazards is one that crosses traditional geoscience research group boundaries. Borderland research has largely been conducted by a loose group of collaborators with common or complementary research visions. The Borderland Working Group has just been formed as a part of the official organizational structure of SCEC in an attempt to focus and integrate research activities within the scientific mission of SCEC. Its purpose is to coordinate onshore-offshore southern California research activities, to archive and analyze existing data, and to plan new research activities including future experiments within the Borderland. This white paper will form the basis of the working group's science objectives and has been endorsed by the Borderland science community. This document represents the ideas and contributions of many academic and USGS scientists who constituted a preliminary Borderland working group (see Appendix A). The ideas are based largely on discussions that took place at a SCEC Borderland Initiative workshop, March 8-10, 2002. Workshop participants submitted statements of interest that were to define major scientific issues, available data and current data collection efforts, prioritized lists of short-term and long-term objectives, and permanent instrumentation needs. The statements also served as a basis for workshop discussions. Speakers were invited to present ideas about the types of Borderland data-gathering and research activities they thought should be considered under the umbrella of the SCEC Borderland Working Group. Participants were encouraged to discuss the fundamental driving science questions behind a number of topics, the availability of existing data sets, and use of new technology. The white paper is organized according to the general themes that guided breakout groups and plenary sessions at the workshop. The key scientific questions listed within each of the sections summarize workshop discussions about what is still unknown about the Borderland. All workshop participants and working group members have reviewed this document, many of whom provided valuable input

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