6R (2022-2022): Seismometer to Investigate Ice and Ocean Structure (SIIOS) Field Experiment

• University of Maryland (UMD), United States of America

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.

The third field campaign was on the Greenland ice sheet, ~250 km north of Thule Air Force Base at the location of a subglacial lake. Nodal seismometers were deployed in two dense arrays, one on the lake, another off the lake feature, and used to record continuous passive seismicity and active source experiments while the team was in the field.

The dataset is a PH5 archive that contains the waveforms collected on the ZLand 3C nodes, sampling at 250 Hz with a 12 dB gain. A test node was deployed for a few days near Thule, Air Force Base, and the remaining nodes on the Greenland ice sheet. Two of the nodes (302 and 303) were used a roving timing units; their final position varied from the initial location by several kilometers.

FDSN Web Services provide a common data access API for seismic data.

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