Kyrgyz Seismic Telemetry Network

The Kyrgyz Seismic Network, KNET, is the first regional continuous telemetric network of very broadband seismic data in Kyrgyzstan. This network was jointly developed by several institutions under Joint Seismic Program by Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), which were: University of California, San Diego, the Kyrgyz Institute of Seismology, and the Russian Institute of High Temperature Physics. As a part of the US-USSR Joint Seismic Program, KNET was installed in 1991 by a team of American, Russian, and Kyrgyz seismologists. The network carried on its operation under an agreement between IRIS Consortium and the Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

It is located along the boundary between northern Tien Shan mountains and the Kazakh platform. Several major tectonic features are spanned by the network including a series of thrust faults in the Tien Shan, the Chu Valley, and the NW- SE trending ridges north of Bishkek. The network consists of Streckeisen STS-2 sensors with 24-bit PASSCAL data loggers. All continuous real-time data are accessible through the IRIS DMC in Seattle with over 95% data availability.

The KNET system is designed to monitor regional seismic activity for magnitudes higher than 3.5 level and also provide high quality data for research projects in regional and global broadband seismology. Through its operations, KNET ensures delivery of high-performance seismic data. This data is used in research: from monitoring domestic seismic activities and estimations of a seismic hazard up to detailed analyses of deep structure of Earth’s crust and mantle.