Thx for the post.

"USGS has appropriated some money to put in 10 news sites."

=>What type of sensor(s) packages are being installed ? The regular suite (non-ELF) sensors?

Petra and I have been invited to watch the installation of two of them on the Rodgers Creek fault. Being as how they have been able to appropriate the money means someone feels they are a good investment.

=> ELF rigs or other sensors ?

Just from my own experience I have been able to accurately forecast 7 quakes in the SJB area and 1 at Parkfield.

=> Using what sensor/phenomena data ?

The Bay Area however is a different story. I may see the same thing there that I see at SJB, but the results are not the same.

=> Do you mean stress / strain / creep / tilt, etc?

Regarding the cost of the ELF kit...really maintenance efforts should be factored in over the life of the system. It sounds like the failure rate might be kind of high. Service calls and card swap outs could probably raise the cost quite a bit. It could be that they never had the design screened by a reliability specialist who would design for a certain MTBF (failure interval). No big deal now...but when you start getting into a larger array well then the cost might start to get up there....

It is still easy to justify such a cost though, as you pointed out, since the prospects are interesting...and may eventually pay off well.

What is puzzling to me is that I read somewhere that the USGS purchased / built 4 ELF type (or broadband ?) recevider rigs. My question is: where are these sensors and can their data be accessed? It appears that no such sensor is based in Parkfield or, if so, it is not functioning properly...any ideas about this?

mark