USGS Professonal Paper 1096 - IRIS

HISTORICAL SURVEY OF U.S. SEISMOGRAPH STATIONS
By Barbara B. Poppe
ABSTRACT
The data are presented alphabetically by
state and then by the operating institution. In
the upper right-band corner of each Eage is the
Although catalogs of seismograph stations State name and the city in which the operating
have been compiled in the past, there has been organization is located. Pages are arranged
no comprehensive modern record of the nearly alphabetically, first by in-State addresses and
1500 stations in the United States. This survey then by out-at-State addresses. Although most
contal.DS the vital information about the 8ta- networks are confined to one State, those nettions:
who runs them, where they are, what works that overlap more than one have been split
jnstruments are IIsed , and where the records are so that the address of the 1l@tvork operator is
kept. For historical interest, information listed in each State with those stations of the
about closed stations that can no longer contri- network that are in that State. A listing of
bute records to the seismological connnunity is the states in which each organization operates
nevertbel ess j neluded Tbis
""mey ""ill be stations is inGlud@Q in App@ndix 1
useful for detailed study only in the few years
after its release, because the data are con- Appendix 2 contains response curves for 11
stantly in flux. However, significant operators instrument systems that are broadly used. Each
and stations do remain the same, and this infor- curve is typical of a particular seismometer
mation should make station research easier in response, plotted as period vs. relative magnifthe
next decades. ication. Each is normalized to T Appendix 3
0
18 a cross-reference of stat10ns 1n alphabeb.c
order, and includes station name, state, oper-
INTRODUCTION ating organization, and page reference. The
stations coded by NElS (National Earthquake
Informat10n Serv1ce) are plotted on reg10n maps
This publication is a compilation of de- in Appendix 4.
tailed information about seismograph stations in
the United States, the trust territories, Pana- A critical point of confusion might arise
ma, and the Connnonwealth of Puerto Rico current in the use of station codes. The NElS maintains
to June 1977 . Its principal purpose is to a list of internationally recognized codes,
provide information on availability of records. which must not be confused with codes that have
Stations no longer offering data are included if local validity but conflict with the estabspecifics
about them were available; all infor- lished, assigned codes. Therefore, all assigned
mation that was available was included, even if codes are written with no parentheses. Any
incomplete. Not listed are stations about which station that has never contributed data to the
no information existed beyond a simple refer- NElS and has consequently never had a code
ence.
assigned by the NElS has its local code listed
uithin parentheses. f.lse in parentheses are
The majority of the information contained codes of stations that have been properly regisin
this catalog was obtained from questionnaires tered and reserved but have not yet submitted
sent to each station operator. Much updating data to the NElS. All codes in parentheses are
and completing Of these files Has carried on by nonetheless inl2lutled 'be123USe they are valuable
telephone. The U.S. Geological Survey and Coast to anyone wanting to obtain data from a particuand
Geodetic Survey (NOAA) files that extend lar station or read published station reports.
back to the 1930 I S were helpful in finding In some cases both an assigned code and one used
information on older stations. References that by the operating organization exists. When this
were of invaluable help are listed at the end of duplication occurs, both codes are listed, the
this publication.
second being in parentheses.