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14th November 2007
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CUSP-3A records M7.7 North Chilean Earthquake of November 14, 2007
One of the three strongest accelerograms of the November 14 earthquake was recorded on
a CUSP-3A accelerograph in the red nacional de acelerógrafos (RENADIC) of the
Department of Civil Engineering of the Universidad de Chile,
at the village of Puerto Patache,
about 65km south of the city of Iquique and about 160km from the epicentre.
A description of the RENDIC network and a preliminary report showing the three principal
records and their spectra can be found at
http://www.cec.uchile.cl/~renadic/red.html
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First CUSP-M Shipped
The first commercial CUSP-M multichannel accelerograph was shipped in early October after an extended testing period. Another
five units are currently in production.
Initial results in the test structure showed excellent performance, with several small events
being captured successfully. An example record is shown in the image below (click to magnify).
more
Production of the CUSP-M instrument is on a 'to-order' basis, with a lead time of approximately
six weeks. For more information on this product including full specifications, costs and delivery
times, please contact us.
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CUSP-HUB Released
The CUSP-HUB provides a simple yet powerful solution to network management and data dissemination.
Based on an industrial PC, it contains file transfer and data mirroring servers as well as a web server,
providing secure, direct and easy data transfer and management. Network management is simple with
automated daily status report emails, instant event alerts etc. Another feature of the CUSP-HUB is
the integration of a global triggering application compatable with the remote triggering features
of the CUSP-3 series accelerographs. Using this feature, network-wide data can be captured, effectively
operating your network as a triggered-mode array.
more
The CUSP-HUB is avaliable in many different form factors, tailered to
your specific requirements and budget. It is thus avaliable on a 'to-order' basis, with a lead time
of approximately four weeks. Please contact us for more information.
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ICEARRAY
more
Two CUSP-3Clp accelerographs installed across an open crack beneath the Tourist Information Centre of South Iceland and the local library
as part of ICEARRAY, the new strong-motion array in Iceland, located in Hveragerdi. (photo: Benedikt Halldorsson,
see: www.afl.hi.is)
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11th September 2006
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IMPORTANT NOTE
Our thanks to all those that visited us at our stand at the First European Conference
on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology in Geneva between the 3rd and 8th of September.
Unfortunately we have discovered an error in the CUSP-3C brochure circulated at the conference. The noise floor of this
instrument is 70ug, not 70mg. We also found that the CUSP-M brochure has the same error,
the noise floor is again 70ug not 70mg.
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Release of CUSP-3C
As part of our continued efforts to improve the CUSP range of accelerographs, we have
released the CUSP-3C, a lower-noise version of the proven CUSP-3B. The specifications
are the same as that for the CUSP-3B, but the noise floor has dropped from 700ug to 70ug.
The first CUSP-3C instruments have already been supplied to selected European customers and
initial feedback has been excellent.
More information is avaliable on our products page.
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Canterbury Network
CSI has supplied an additional 35 CUSP-3B instrument to the Canterbury strong motion network
(CANNET) operated by GeoNet,
the operator of the various national geophysical networks in New Zealand.
The instruments are currently being installed.
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CUSP-M System
CSI's multi-sensor CUSP-M, aimed at building, free-field and down-hole array
instrumentation, has been installed and testing in a 8 story building at the
University of Canterbury. Initial results are promising.
The CUSP-M is now to be offered with both high resolution sensors (70ug noise floor)
as well as lower-cost lower-resolution sensors (700ug noise floor).
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CUSP-3C low-power instrument
The recently released CUSP-3C will be avaliable in a low-power varient, aimed at
remote installations running from solar cells. The power consumption will be in
the vicinity of 2.5W, compared to the 8W (typical) for the standard CUSP-3C.
The CUSP-3Clp is currently in the prototype testing phase, and will be avaliable in
small quantities by early 2007.
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CSI at the First European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology in Geneva
CSI was pleased to attend the trade exhibition at the First European Conference
on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology in Geneva between the 3rd and 8th of September.
John Berrill and Hamish Avery were present at it was their great pleasure to see our
clients in person and to meet many interesting people.
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19th February 2006
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Release of CUSP-3B
The basic CSI accelerograph, the CUSP-3A, released in July 2004 and displayed
at the 13WCEE in Vancouver, BC, has been upgraded with new MEMs accelerometers
and a number of minor software improvements, and renamed the CUSP-3B.
The first batch of CUSP-3B instruments was produced in mid-July, 2005 and is
destined for clients in Europe and New Zealand.
The main improvement in the 3B is a reduction of the noise floor to about
0.6 to 0.7 milli-g, measured over a 80 Hz bandwidth.
(see products page for further info)
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Canterbury Network
The initial motivation for the development of the CUSP instruments was the
decision of the Engineering Seismology Group at the University of Canterbury
to install a network of strong-motion accelerographs in the central South Island
of New Zealand in anticipation of a great earthquake on the Alpine Fault.
While this started as a University project, the Canterbury Network (CanNet)
has now been taken over by GeoNet,
the operator of the various national geophysical networks in New Zealand.
By June 2005, 20 CUSP-3A accelerographs had been installed, with a further
60 instruments to go in during the next 12 months.
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CUSP-M System and 16-18 bit instruments in prototype phase
Development of the multi-sensor M-System, aimed at building and down-hole array
instrumentation, has continued with the production of a 16-18 bit sensor and a
prototype system for bench testing. Over the next several months it is planned
to install a full-scale prototype system in a Christchurch building.
The 16-18 bit sensor will be offered, also, in a 3-component stand-alone seismograph
as the CUSP-3C.
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CSI moves to new premises
CSI has taken new premises at the seaside suberb of Ferrymead in Christchurch,
New Zealand.
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22nd July 2004
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First commercial instrument
Dr. John Berrill, principal force behind the CUSP Project and Reader in
Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury, takes
delivery of the first commercially produced CUSP-3A instrument.
more
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First recorded event
In late 2003
the South Island of New Zealand has experienced several earthquakes,
with CUSP recording its the first real earthquake data - an M4.9
event 40 km north east of Christchurch. This after months of testing
with artificial earthquakes on the shaking table.
The CUSP accelerograph has been developed by PhD candidate Hamish
Avery and Technical Officer Peter Coursey, under the guidance of John
Berrill and Mike Dewe (Electrical/IT). The project has been motivated
by the imminent rupture (in a geological time frame) of the Alpine
Fault. The instrument is Internet based to provide easy maintenance
and retrieval of data and uses cheap micro-machined accelerometers
developed for triggering car airbags.
more
The M4.9 September 30th 2003 earthquake was not a world shaking one;
but it did provide a good test of the sensitivity of the CUSP instrument
and its ability to detect events just above the noise level. This accelerograph
is the first to be installed in the Canterbury Network and is one of
a batch of 20 instruments under construction in the Department. Once
this batch is complete, production will be taken over by Canterbury
Seismic Instruments Ltd, a joint venture company between the University
and local businessmen, set up to commercialise the accelerograph.
The Geomechanics Group plans to install a network of about 60 instruments
across the central South Island, in collaboration with GeoNet, with
three principal aim and components:
A dense array of about 20 instruments near Cass, to record details
of the rupture mechanism of earthquakes on the Alpine Fault
or other regional faults. Design and installation of this array
comprises is the doctoral project of Caroline François.
A network of 20 to 30 instruments spread over the region, to
observe regional attenuation, with emphasis on wave guiding effects
in the sediments of the Canterbury Plains.
A local network across
the city of Christchurch., to study site effects due to the quite
variable sedimentary structure beneath the city.
The research has been supported by Technology NZ, The Mason Trust,
the Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury, the University
of Canterbury and by the EQC; their help is gratefully acknowledged.
Further may be obtained from John Berrill.
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