New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences - New Research Opportunities in the Earth Sciences - page 39

The economic rationale for sustaining the EarthScope project through the
planned program to 2018 is equally compelling given the large investment of NSF
funds in EarthScope, the superb success of the facilities in achieving the primary data
collection goals to date, the exciting scientific results on first-order Earth science
problems, and the excellent prospect for sustaining the flow of discoveries and
resolving long-standing questions. After 2018 any continued elements of the project
will need to be carefully assessed and evaluated in terms of prospects for
proportionate advances. The NSF system for MREFC programs causes particular
stresses for directorates that have not had prior MREFC initiatives (the need for
creation of O&M and research funds within the directorate to follow up on the
infusion of MREFC capitalization funds) and the successful completion of
EarthScope may ease the establishment of new EAR MREFC programs. With
aspirations for major new Earth sciences facilities being articulated by multiple EAR
communities, future MREFC proposals should be at least one strategy considered by
EAR management.
Figure 2.13 Example of the remarkable spatial resolution of the crustal deformation
field in the western United States determined by the Plate Boundary Observatory
geodetic instrumentation. SOURCE: McCaffrey et al. (2007). Reprinted with
permission of John Wiley and Sons.