Seismometer to Investigate Ice and Ocean Structure (SIIOS) Field Experiment: Hiawatha Crater, Greenland

To investigate the viability of a seismic experiment on an Ocean Worlds lander mission, we are undertaking a series of analog field studies to develop operational techniques and quantify the science return of a Seismometer to Investigate Ice and Ocean Structure (SIIOS). Specifically, we aim to achieve the following objectives: 1) Demonstrate the ability of a small aperture seismic arrays in a “lander-like” configuration to discriminate between ice/ocean/bedrock layers in Earth's cryosphere, and record the influence of diurnal motion, as an analog to Ocean Worlds. 2) Demonstrate the improved resolution of a small aperture array over a single instrument for the detection and location of passive seismicity and noise sources in an Ocean Worlds analog environment. 3) Develop protocols and requirements for spacecraft onboard generation of data products that preserve science results while also being compatible with data downlink limitations typical for missions deployed in the outer solar system. 4) Determine the most effective types of passive seismic sources (e.g., ice cracking) for measuring ice and liquid water structure. This is the third field campaign and will take place on the Greenland ice sheet, ~250 km north of Thule Air Force Base in the location of a subglacial impact crater. The Greenland field exercise site installation will begin in mid-May 2020 and leave instruments deployed over the summer on the ice sheet. Demobilization is expected in August 2020. We will be using a combination Silicon Audio instruments which should be able to interface with PASSCAL Reftek-130 or Q330 data loggers. Each of the stations will be collocated in a short aperture array of approximately 3 meters radius. At the center of the array we will deploy a short period and broadband station. Each arm of the array will have a Silicon Audio seismometer. The short aperture array will be supplemented by 4 stations located at least a 1 km from the central lander like configuration.