Seismic Network

SUNY Potsdam’s Revetta/NYPA Lab To Be Dedicated

          A new geophysics lab in Timerman Hall designed for teaching and research that includes computer workstations, plotters and a seismograph will be officially dedicated in honor of SUNY Potsdam Distinguished Service Professor Dr. Frank Revetta who has taught geology at the College for more than 42 years and the New York Power Authority, which donated $50,000 support to establish the lab.

            Dr. Frank A. Revetta/New York Power Authority Geophysics Lab will be unveiled Friday, July 13, at 10 a.m. in the lab, located in Timerman Hall B023. Following the dedication at 10:30 a.m., Dr. Revetta will present “The Potsdam Seismic Network and Earthquakes in New York State” seminar.

            The lab will include a seismograph that was previously donated to SUNY Potsdam by NYPA. The seismograph is one of nine stations in the Potsdam Seismic Network that Dr. Revetta first established in 1971.

            The network lies in the most active seismic region in New York state, known as the northern New York-Western Quebec seismic zone. Many earthquakes with a magnitude of one to four occur in this zone, and occasionally larger events occur, such as the earthquake registering 5.1 on the Richter Scale that was felt around northern New York and across the eastern seaboard in April 2002.

            Operated by SUNY Potsdam’s Department of Geology, the network is used in the earth science, physical geology, geophysics and seismology courses. During the academic year, the network is operated by students in the seismology course, who use the data for undergraduate research projects that many present at the Geology Society of America meeting each year.

            The network also provides data to area industry, government agencies, schools and the general public.

            Dr. Revetta is a dedicated teacher, scholar and volunteer. He teaches every year, all year, including every winter and summer term. He has obtained a number of external grants and donated equipment that he uses as teaching tools in his classes.

            Dr. Revetta presents hundreds of planetarium programs on campus to school children, alumni and other groups of interested individuals each year. He also presents dozens of teacher

workshops in geology and geophysics, conducts numerous projects related to local issues or problems, and teaches inmates in local correctional facilities. 

Dr. Revetta is a nationally recognized expert in the field of seismology and is interviewed frequently by national media such as CNN, MSNBC, the Associated Press and the “New York Times.” He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and presenter at many professional meetings. In addition, he serves as treasurer of the National Association of Geology Teachers. 

            In recognition of his outstanding service to the College and community, Dr. Revetta was awarded the SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Award, the highest rank bestowed upon SUNY professors. He also has received the SUNY Potsdam President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and was made an honorary member of the College’s Alumni Association in 2005.

The New Smart Classroom in Geophysics-Seismology at SUNY Potsdam

             The new smart classroom in geophysics-seismology provides the opportunity for students to observe earthquake traces in real time from the output of six broadband seismometers housed on a pier in the classroom.  Students will also be able to observe traces from eight seismic field stations in northern New York.  The laboratory houses a RefTek 130 recorder that can transmit the data via an RF transmitter or the Internet, as well as, writes all data to internal memory.  The seismometers used for the recorder are the Geotech 3 component short period seismometer (S13J) and the Geotech long period, broadband seismometer (KS-2000).  The laboratory also contains a PSI personal seismograph to detect local earthquakes and an ASI from IRIS for detection of teleseisms.  A long period vertical Press-Ewing seismometer is also used to detect teleseisms and provide records for classroom exercises.

             The classroom is also used for the reduction, analysis, and modeling of geophysical data.  A podium to instruct students on the use of software to analyze and model gravity, magnetic, resistivity, and seismic data is available in the lab.  The lab contains plotter and printer for the construction of maps and models.  Students may also use the lab for learning the Geographic Information System.  The laboratory also has facilities for showing VHS videos, CDs and DVDs.  A primary goal of the classroom is to teach students how to run software and obtain information through the Internet.  However, it is also available for students to use in their own free time.

            Students can observe data from eight stations, but it is a future goal that we import data streams from an area known t have frequent seismic events (California possibly?).  Students can analyze earthquakes that they hear about in the media.  Currently, we both import and export data streams to Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory.

             The software, Seisan integrated with Earthworm, has an automatic locator.  Another future goal is to add a mail server.  With a mail server in place, we could generate an e-mailing list of everyone interested in receiving notification of an earthquake and they would automatically receive an e-mail with the location, time and magnitude of the earthquake.

             Another software that we are using is Swarm.  Swarm allows students to see the real time data streams, as well as, provides electronic helicorders.