SO503, Spring 2006

Lab, Volcanic Events in the NW Pacific

We are going to create a GIS data base for the Juan de Fuca Ridge. 

Procedure

• Go to http://autochart.pmel.noaa.gov:1776/autochart/GetPosit.html
• Select the North Pacific, SOSUS data.
• Copy the data into Excel.  You have a description of the data, and can note where the data starts.  Think carefully about how you want to store the dates.
• Insure that you have a first row with field names (10 characters or less, letters, numbers, and the underline only).
• Insure that there are no extraneous lines of "bad data" at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
• Save the file from Excel as a CSV (comma separated variable) file.
• Open a base map in MICRODEM--the Smith & Sandwell predicted bathymetry is a good choice.
• Open the earthquake file in MICRODEM with the DB button.

We will create:

• A series of maps showing the earthquakes by year--pick two to put into your report.
• A map color coding the earthquakes by size.
• A histogram of the earthquakes by year.

Questions

• Is this the same database used by Dziak and Chadwick (2006)?  Support your answer, and put a citation and reference, in the correct format, into your lab.
• What can you say about periodicity in the earthquakes in this region?