SAGE investigations of the Valles Caldera

This passive seismic experiment is centered upon the Valles Caldera in NW New Mexico and is aimed at: 1) imaging potential melt zones beneath the Caldera, 2) investigating the shallow hydrothermal system beneath the central resurgent dome and 3) mapping structural boundaries including hypothesized ring-fracture zones associated with the caldera's collapse and rift structures that it may overprint. This experiment is one component of the annual Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) program that immerses 20-30 undergraduate and graduate student in a wide range of geophysical techniques. SAGE has to date not included passive seismology in its toolkit and would like to expand the SAGE curriculum in this direction. We anticipate significant involvement with SAGE students in the data collection and processing/modeling of the data.