Colorado State University Mountain Campus Site Evaluation

Preliminary ambient noise characterization for a permanent seismograph site located at the Colorado State University Mountain Campus. Data collected with this short-term deployment will be used to choose the location for a permanent broadband seismograph station to be installed and maintained in cooperation between Colorado State University (CSU) and the Colorado Geologic Survey (CGS), with open data associated with FDSN network C0. Highly variable ambient noise at this location is expected to be predominantly short period (< 5 s). Potential noise generators include: 1) the coupling of wind energy into ground motion via trees; 2) the nearby South Fork Cache la Poudre River, which produces a near-field seismic wavefield that is modulated diurnally and seasonally by snow melt; and 3) anthropogenic noise from the CSU Mountain Campus and nearby hiking trails and forest roads. The primary mission of the permanent station will be to aid in the detection and location of small magnitude, local earthquakes and other seismic events within Colorado. Because the observed seismic energy for these events is typically short period, performing spectral characterization of potential sites in advance of installation will ensure that the permanent station will be sited where it will receive a useable signal-to-noise ratio in this band. The long-term broadband station and its open data will generally contribute to seismology research and education at CSU and elsewhere.