Transit to Dili, Timor Leste

After a four month break from field work we are back to visit the seismic array.  Over the course of the North American winter, we have built an archived database of our experiment (hosted by IRIS-DMC), explored lots of scientific literature about our study region, and moved ahead with multiple grant-writing efforts.

This field season marks the growth of our interaction with IPG in Dili. Our entire USC seismic field team has assembled: ASSOCIATE professor Miller (congrats to Meghan and the USC Earth Science Department for promoting her!), Cooper Harris, and Leland O'Driscoll are all in attendance for the first time in Timor Leste.  We also have the pleasure of traveling with Louis Moresi for the week.  Should prove to be an excellent start to the field season.

We have lots of other items to report in greater detail, but here are few highlights of the aforementioned items:

- The current academic term at USC has allowed us to explore various topics of geologic and geophysical research in the Banda region.  The PIs of the project (Miller, Becker, and West) have organized a course that has led us to much better appreciate the dynamic and complex nature of Banda.  Their efforts have allowed the participants (Max Dahlquist, Cooper Harris, Adam Holt, Rob Porritt, Leland O'Driscoll) to tackle diverse and competing hypotheses on the regional geologic composition.  

- We have developed grants to extend our efforts in the region, with specific focus on facilitating hazard reduction and enabling longer-term goals of earthquake monitoring in Timor Leste.  We are competing to obtain a grant from the Society of Exploration Geologists within their Geoscientists Without Borders program.  

Stay tuned for updates from the field...