Introduction

Eleven CERI geophysics faculty members hold appointments in Geological Sciences (two of them are U.S. Geological Survey employees based at CERI), and two CERI earthquake engineering faculty members hold appointments in Civil Engineering. CERI also has a permanent supporting staff of 14 employees in research, technical, and administrative positions. About 20 resident graduate students are enrolled in Master's and doctoral programs in Geophysics and in Civil Engineering, most receiving financial aid for full-time study from COE funds, University funds, or grants and contracts. The doctoral program in geophysics, begun in 1992, will produce its first two graduates in 1995. CERI faculty are not involved in undergraduate programs.

Until recently, CERI operated extensive regional seismograph networks in the New Madrid and Southern Appalachian seismic zones. These supplied much of the data base of CERI research and public information concerning regional earthquake hazards. Particularly in the New Madrid zone, active faults have been delineated and much has been learned of the complex pattern of motion. However, cancellation of support by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Tennessee Valley Authority has left these far-flung facilities without an adequate communication network.

Substantial USGS research support remains, but seismograph networks will be fully revived only with additional state or University support. With participation of institutions like CERI, USGS is completing a national network of sparsely-spaced, state-of-the-art seismograph stations. However, an earlier Federal policy of funding regional seismograph networks for research on active seismic zones such as those of Tennessee has been abandoned.

Complementary field studies are producing important new information on the geologic effects of historic and prehistoric earthquakes of the New Madrid zone. A broad range of geophysical techniques including satellite geodesy and first order leveling are also being employed for measuring present regional deformation. Preliminary results indicate a high rate of regional strain. Externally supported research also deals with the dynamics of the New Madrid and San Andreas fault systems.

Earthquakes of the world's `stable' continental regions have become a focus of CERI research through the leadership of Director of Research Arch Johnston who has examined the surface effects and instrumental data of the largest such events of recent years. The first order theory of plate tectonics appears to be unrelated to earthquakes such as the Maharashtra, India, earthquake in which 10,000 people died on September 30, 1994, or even the New Madrid earthquakes among which are three of the largest historic earthquakes of North America. The problem of destructive earthquakes which occur where they shouldn't is a major challenge to geophysical research and public planning.

CERI engineering studies have assessed the earthquake vulnerability of the distribution lifelines of the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division which serves a metropolitan area of about 1 million people. The vulnerability of about 1160 schools, hospitals, bridges and fire stations in Memphis, west Tennessee and northeast Arkansas has also been quantified after site inspections. The dynamics of soils under earthquake stresses is a central topic of CERI engineering research in view of the extensive record of soil failure phenomena, landslides and sand blows, associated with the great New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. Data from more than 8500 engineering borings have been compiled into a regional soil engineering data base.

Meanwhile, CERI has become a leader in portable seismograph network technology. Large portable networks have been used productively to study earth structure and deformation in the Andes, in the New Madrid seismic zone, in Hawaii, in Taiwan, and in New Zealand. Seventy portable seismograph network stations will shortly be redeployed in Taiwan for 1995 seismic profiling onshore and offshore with R/V Ewing. An additional portable seismograph network will also be built for earthquake studies in northeast China.

CERI's public information mandate receives attention from a Seismic Resource Center manager as well as many faculty and staff members. Outreach in schools, liaison with public officials, response to media, business, and individual users of earthquake information, weekly bulletins and prompt reports on regional earthquakes are routine responsibilities. CERI's role in a regional earthquake emergency is to gather and interpret seismological/engineering data on the event, and to make information promptly available. A staff planning effort seeks continuing improvement in CERI's response capability.

Students join faculty and staff as apprentices in all aspects of the above research and information programs. Through these joint efforts during its 18-year history, CERI has become a nationally prominent seismic research and applications center, and is winning international recognition in its strongest fields.

Mission, Vision, and Values

As a unit of a research university and a leading geophysical laboratory of the Southeast, CERI fosters the highest possible standards of inquiry and scholarship, and seeks the fullest development of human resources, both internal and external to the university.

CERI values community and regional partnerships which help to guide its agenda, as well as close association with national and international colleagues which keeps CERI at the leading edge of geophysics and engineering.

Strategic Goals and Objectives

GOAL: Complete a cost-effective, new-technology regional seismograph network

OBJECTIVE:

Seek a specific Tennessee commitment to seismograph network operation

GOAL: Underwrite academic excellence and fiscal viability of CERI

OBJECTIVES:

Seek endowed support for a distinguished professorship of geophysics

Seek endowed support for graduate research assistantships

GOAL: Increase the enrollment of regional college graduates

OBJECTIVES:

Reach regional colleges and universities with an annual recruiting appeal

Offer faculty lectures to regional departments of science and engineering

Systematically recruit UM science and engineering majors

Track CERI alumni on a systematic, continuing basis

Create and maintain a comprehensive CERI brochure on the Internet

GOAL: Increase private project support

OBJECTIVES:

Seek local donors to share costs with Federal sponsors

Seek local sponsors for projects of local value

Seek national sponsors for projects of national significance

For further information, please contact:

Arch Johnston, Executive Director
CERI
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN 38152
phone: 901-678-4753
fax: 901-678-4734
johnston@ceri.memphis.edu