UNAVCO
UNAVCO was a non-profit university-governed consortium that facilitated geology research and education using geodesy.
Background
UNAVCO was funded by the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and United States Geological Survey to support geology research. It operated the U.S. National Science Foundation's Geodetic Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience. UNAVCO had 120 US academic member organizations and supported over 110 organizations globally as associate members.On January 1, 2023, UNAVCO merged with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, operator of the U.S. National Science Foundation's Seismological Facility for the Advancement of Geoscience, to form EarthScope Consortium.
Tools and services
Data
The UNAVCO GAGE Facility, as a World Data Center, provided access to scientific data for quantifying the motions of rock, ice, and water at or near the Earth's surface. Geodetic Imaging Data is collected by various sensors deployed on satellites, aircraft, and on the ground to provide high-resolution terrain models and deformation measurements. Data collected from strain and seismic borehole instruments is used to measure deformation on or near to the surface of the Earth as well as to measure the physical properties of rock within the vicinity of the installations. At many of the geodetic measurement sites, meteorological data are also collected to aid with processing of the geodetic data. UNAVCO archived and distributed data from the EarthScope program Plate Boundary Observatory, which later became part of the Network of the Americas.GPS/GNSS systems
The UNAVCO GAGE Facility managed a community pool of high accuracy portable GPS/GNSS receiver systems used for a range of research applications.Terrestrial laser scanning
The GAGE Facility at UNAVCO maintained a pool of Terrestrial Laser Scanning instruments to support Earth science investigators. TLS technology is based on lidar and is sometimes referred to as ground-based lidar or tripod lidar. It is an active imaging system whereby laser pulses are emitted by the scanner and the time and intensity of the returning pulses, reflected by the surface or object being scanned, are recorded. The round-trip time for pulses enables the taking of millions/billions of points, from which a 3D "point cloud" is generated to accurately map the scanned surface/object.The primary capability of TLS is the generation of high-resolution 3D maps and images of surfaces and objects over scales of meters to kilometers with centimeter to sub-centimeter precision. Repeat TLS measurements allow the imaging and measurement of changes through time and in unprecedented detail, making TLS even more valuable for transformative science investigations.
Geology applications include detailed mapping of fault scarps, geologic outcrops, fault-surface roughness, frost polygons, lava lakes, dikes, fissures, glaciers, columnar joints and hillside drainages. Carrying out additional TLS surveys can be useful in the imaging and measurement of surface changes over time due to, for example:
- Surface processes
- Volcanic deformation
- Ice flow
- Beach morphology transitions
- Post-seismic slip
Polar services
The UNAVCO GAGE Facility provided geodetic support to NSF-OPP funded researchers working in the Arctic and Antarctic. Survey-grade GPS receivers, Terrestrial Laser Scanners, and supporting power and communications systems for continuous data collection and campaign surveying could be provided. Operation and maintenance services were also provided for long term data collection, with on-line data distribution from the UNAVCO community archive.NASA and IGS support
The UNAVCO GAGE Facility provided global infrastructure support to NASA/JPL in operating a collection of globally distributed permanent GNSS/GPS stations called the NASA Global GNSS Network, which forms part of the International GNSS Service network.Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO)
UNAVCO operated the Plate Boundary Observatory, the geodetic component of the EarthScope program funded by the National Science Foundation. The PBO consisted of several major observatory components: a network of 1,100+ permanent, continuously operating Global Positioning System stations many of which provided data at high-rate and in real-time, 78 borehole seismometers, 74 borehole strainmeters, 28 shallow borehole tilt meters, and six long baseline laser strain meters.Continuously Operating Caribbean GPS Observational Network (COCONet)
UNAVCO operated the Continuously Operating Caribbean GNSS/GPS Observational Network, which consisted of 50 planned continuously operating GPS/weather stations integrated with 65 existing GPS stations operated by partner organizations. COCONet provides open-format GPS and meteorological data for these stations for use by scientists, government agencies, educators, students, and the private sector.Organization
UNAVCO was organized into three programs. The three programs focused on:- Data collection, including installation and maintenance of large-scale geodetic instrument networks
- Network data operations, community data products, and cyber infrastructure
- Education and outreach strategies
Geodetic Infrastructure
Geodetic Data Services
Geodetic Data Services program provided services for the long-term stewardship of data sets. These services organized, managed, and archived data, and developed tools for data access and interpretation. Services were provided for GNSS/GPS data, imaging data, strain and seismic data, and meteorological data. The UNAVCO Data Archive included more than 2,300 continuous GNSS/GPS stations.Education and Community Engagement
The Education and Community Engagement program provided services to communicate the scientific results of the geodetic community, foster education, and grow workforce development and international partnerships. Particular focus was given to providing training, developing educational materials, and facilitating technical short courses to scientists studying geodesy. The program also supported formal education and informal public outreach through workshops, educational materials for secondary students and undergraduate level courses, museum displays, and social media interactions.UNAVCO supported geo-workforce development through undergraduate internship programs, graduate student mentoring, and online resources. This included the Research Experience in the Solid Earth Science for Students internship program. RESESS was a summer internship program dedicated to increasing the diversity of students entering the geosciences.
Membership and governance
UNAVCO Members were educational or non-profit institutions chartered in the United States or its Territories with a commitment to scholarly research involving the application of high precision geodesy to Earth science or related fields. Associate Membership was available to organizations other than U.S. educational institutions, when those organizations shared UNAVCO's mission and otherwise met the qualifications for membership.A board of directors was charged with UNAVCO oversight and governance and was elected by designated representatives of UNAVCO member institutions. Advisory committees for each of the three programs guided the focus of the programs.