Services

SSF

SFF has many years of experience in conducting active-source seismic projects before the facility was funded (October 1, 2013). We have operated on many continents and around the world. We have worked in environments with extreme temperatures, political issues and logistical issues.  The project scales range from critical zone to crustal.

Project Design and Engineering

Project designs are based on objectives. What do you want to image? How deep do you want to image? What is the geology (near surface and deeper)? The answers to questions like these will help in designing source/receiver location, source sizes and price to best meet objectives.

Cost Management

Controlling costs in active source experiments is critical, costs can easily spiral out of control. This is because most drillers, blasters, and explosives vendors are accustomed to charging for their work by the hour, while grants have fixed budgets. The SSF controls costs by contracting for services delivered at a fixed rate and tightly managing hourly work. We also provide many services ourselves, which would be prohibitively expensive if purchased from local suppliers.

Permitting

Permitting receiver/sources for active-source projects can at times be a difficult and time-consuming process. We can take over the process or even help. SSF supervised projects will include liability coverage described below. This insurance can aid in the permit process by letting landowners and regulatory personnel know we are fiscally responsible and they would not need to sue the university in case of an incident.

Insurance

Increasingly, landowners are requiring seismologists and other scientists to have liability insurance when working on their property, this is true for a variety of activities. The SSF carries a $1,000,000 commercial general liability policy that includes coverage for the use of explosives as well as other activities.

Contracting

SSF can contract drilling services, explosives, vibroseis and just about anything related to active-source seismic projects from start to finish, including cleanup.

Field Support

Some projects require field support. Small projects may allow field support in the form of training. IRIS approval may be required. Support for actual  experiments is through collaborative proposals or subcontracts.

Training

SSF can provide training on equipment and field work. Expenses are paid from PI funding.