Teton Fault getting seismic sensors

JACKSON, Wyo. — A network of sensors being installed to monitor earthquakes along the Teton Fault in northwest Wyoming should be completed by the end of August, seismologist Harley Benz said.

The network of seven to eight monitors will help emergency response teams prepare for earthquakes, said Benz, who works for the U.S. Geological Survey at the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., the agency that is installing the network of sensors in Jackson Hole.

The new sensors will provide more data about earthquakes than a network of older monitors recently removed by the Bureau of Reclamation. Teton County fought the BLM over removing the monitors but lost.

Benz said the new system will be able to tell scientists where the quake is, how big it is and the distribution of ground shaking.

Once the network is completed, scientists will be able to project potential earthquake impacts such as landslides by mapping the distribution of ground shaking.

"We can make the community more resilient to earthquakes," Benz said. "These shake maps from an emergency point of view are very effective."

Earthquake prediction is not part of the program. But geologists say the network would let residents know if the long-dormant Teton Fault moves.

Teton County Commissioner Bill Paddleford also wants to use the seismic network to get vital information about earthquakes by being connected to the National Earthquake Center, which globally monitors earthquakes 24 hours a day.

"We'll be able to tell you within three to five minutes exactly where the earthquake was and its magnitude," Benz said. "We want to be able to provide all the parameters that go into effective damage-reduction strategies."

The recent installation of the technologically advanced monitors at the Kelly School and the south boundary of Grand Teton National Park were the second and third to be installed in the area. The first seismic monitor was installed in Red Top Meadows last year.

The entire network area will also include two in Idaho near Felt and Victor. There are 400 to 500 monitoring stations all over the United States, Benz said.

The federal government is paying the estimated $250,000 cost of installing the sensors.