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 have been installed in the continental USA by Oregon State University, with the collaboration at specific sites of Missouri State University, Virginia Tech University, and University of California at Riverside. These record data autonomously, and following a development effort real-time telemetry is being implemented.

The MT Transportable Array comprises shorter-period investigations at hundreds of sites in the continental USA. Data from these sites are collected on a regular schedule through recovery of data storage modules. MT Backbone and MT Transportable Array activities are supervised by Oregon State University, through a subcontract between OSU and the IRIS Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology. MT Transportable Array operations are subcontracted to industrial and academic partners, with opportunities for student involvement in MT field operations. Overall USArray magnetotelluric program management is by Dr. Adam Schultz of OSU. Data quality control and management of data flow to the IRIS Data Management Center is by Dr. Gary Egbert of OSU. 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).