U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2011–3065

June 2011 Printed on recycled paper

Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory

Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory

The Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) was established 

in 1961 by the U.S. Coast & Geodetic 

Survey (C&GS) to provide a seismically quiet place for developing and 

testing new and improved seismological 

instruments. Additionally, the ASL was 

envisioned as a resource for supporting 

the C&GS observatory network. The 

choice of the Pueblo of Isleta site followed extensive seismic noise surveys by 

C&GS employees Frank Werner, James 

Devine, and Joji Tomei. These surveys 

were conducted in 1959 at numerous 

locations across the United States. The 

choice of the Albuquerque site was 

based on the low seismic noise, access 

to universities and scientific support 

facilities, and suitable logistics and living 

environment. Construction of the facility 

started in 1960, when two 40-foot deep 

tunnels were blasted into Precambrian 

granite for instrument testing. During the 

same period, the World-Wide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN) 

was in the design and planning stages. 

Funded by the Defense Advanced 

Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the 

WWSSN was envisioned as a network of 

120 standardized seismograph stations 

in more than 60 countries and islands 

scattered across the globe. The ASL was 

identified as the logical choice to serve 

as an installation and maintenance center 

for the network, and DARPA provided 

funding for a building to house WWSSN 

activities. The ASL opened for business 

on June 19, 1961, and the first WWSSN 

station (ALQ) was installed in the underground tunnels. By 1965, 111 stations 

were installed, and by 1971, the final 

installation (BDF - Brasilia, Brazil) was 

completed. The WWSSN is considered 

one of the most important advances in 

observational seismology and produced 

usable data until the mid-1990s. 

In addition to operating the 

WWSSN, the ASL conducted aftershock 

studies, including the study of the 1964 

M9.2 Prince William Sound, Alaska, 

earthquake. Over 5,000 pounds of equipment and several seismologists from 

Albuquerque arrived in Anchorage 2 days 

after the earthquake to deploy equipment 

for recording aftershocks. The first portable system was deployed the next day. 

Over the years, ASL staff also participated in numerous field experiments 

for earthquake and explosion studies and 

led the development of several seismic 

systems, including tsunami monitoring 

networks in Alaska and the Pacific and a 

regional network to monitor seismicity in 

the Rio Grande rift.

The U.S. Geological Survey Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory is about 15 miles southeast of Albuquerque 

on the Pueblo of Isleta, adjacent to Kirtland Air Force Base. The Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory supports 

the Global Seismographic Network Program and the Advanced National Seismic System through the installation, 

operation, and maintenance of seismic stations around the world and serves as the premier seismological 

instrumentation test facility for the U.S. Government.

50years of global seismology

1962 2011
As technology advanced, the ASL 

began its first installations of digital 

seismographs in 1971 with the High 

Gain Long Period (HGLP) network. This 

advance was followed by several other 

digital-recording networks, including the 

Seismic Research Observatories (SRO), 

the modified HGLP (ASRO), the Digital 

WWSSN (DWWSSN), and the China 

Digital Seismograph Network. These 

networks, known together as the Global 

Digital Seismic Network (GDSN), produced high quality, mostly narrow-band 

(peaking near 1-second and 25- second 

period) digital data that were collected, 

quality-controlled, and distributed by 

ASL’s Data Collection Center. These 

early experiments with digital systems 

were funded by DARPA; experience 

gained from working with these early 

systems laid the groundwork for today’s 

modern broadband networks. The GDSN 

efforts often were conducted in partnership with other organizations, including 

universities and the U.S. Air Force.

In the mid- and late-1960s, efforts 

to modernize and realign government 

operations led to the formation of the 

U.S. Environmental Science Services 

Administration (ESSA) within the U.S. 

Department of Commerce and then to the formation of the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1970. The C&GS was first transferred into 

ESSA and then reorganized under NOAA. The seismology division was moved under 

the Environmental Research Laboratories in 1971 and then transferred to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1973.

Stations and Equipment

1971

Russ Wilson repairing a WWSSN module in the 

early 1970s.

(Top) Stations of the World-Wide 

Standardized Seismograph Network 

(WWSSN), installed 1962–1971. 

(Right) The WWSSN System, including 

seismometers, galvanometers, drum 

recorders, and timing console.

ASL senior field engineer Gary Gyure with 

the ANMO digital data acquisition system.

1970s 2011
In 1984, the USGS formed a partnership with the National 

Science Foundation and the Incorporated Research Institutions for 

Seismology to establish a new broadband digital seismological network known as Global Seismographic Network (GSN). The ASL 

played a key role in performing design studies and developing site 

plans, technical plans, and instrument specifications for the GSN, 

and in testing the new systems. The GSN was built on the 

footprint of earlier global networks, including the WWSSN 

and the University of California’s International Deployment of Accelerometers. The initial deployment began in 

1991, and currently (2011) the network spans more than 150 

stations.

2011

(Top) Stations for which the ASL was responsible 

in June 2011, including the Global Seismographic 

Network, the Caribbean Network, and the Advanced 

National Seismic System backbone network.

(Right) Two of the seismometers used in the GSN: 

Geotech KS-54000 borehole seismometer (far right) 

and Streckeisen STS-1 vertical seismometer.

Viewing seismic data for quality control and 

analysis. Larry Jaksha scaling an earthquake 

waveform on a Develocorder viewscreen. Tyler Storm performing quality control on digital data.

1970s 2011
The ASL today is part of the USGS 

Geologic Hazards Science Center based 

in Golden, Colorado. The facility consists 

of 15 structures, including the two previously mentioned subsurface tunnels, five 

boreholes, and several surface vaults. 

Thanks to its remote location, the site 

continues to be an extremely low-noise 

environment, still suitable for its original 

mission of calibration, testing, and development of new instruments.

The ASL staff support the operation and maintenance of more than 180 

stations in nearly 60 countries around the 

world. The ASL supports the operation 

and maintenance of the GSN—as well as 

the backbone of the Advanced National 

Seismic System (ANSS)—and ensures 

the quality and integrity of the data. The 

GSN and ANSS data are used for realtime seismic monitoring by the USGS 

National Earthquake Information Center 

and by the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers; for nuclear test monitoring by the 

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization and the U.S. Air Force; and for 

research on earthquake processes, earth 

structure, and other geophysical problems 

by a broad community of international 

users.

The ASL also supports ANSS networks through the operation of an equipment depot. The depot serves both USGS 

and non-USGS networks in the ANSS 

by providing equipment spares, tracking 

equipment failures, and performing or 

overseeing equipment repair. 

ASL seismometer test engineers Gary 

Holcomb and Leo Sandoval in the ASL underground test vault in granite. They are testing 

a rotational seismometer built at ASL.

For more information, contact

U.S. Geological Survey

Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory

P.O. Box 82010

Albuquerque, NM 87198-2010

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/asl

The ASL Today

1960s 2000s

Larry Jaksha working in a shallow seismometer vault. Shallow seismometer vault at station ANWB (Barbuda) of the Caribbean 

Network. Shown are the station operator, Devon Warner, and helpers.

Installing a KS54000 

seismometer in a special 

heated/insulated package in a 

270-meter deep borehole at GSN 

station QSPA at the South Pole, 

Antarctica.

Prepared by: C. Robert Hutt, Jon Peterson, 

Lind Gee, John Derr, Adam Ringler, and 

David Wilson