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Overview

 

A network of shared scientific observatories across Africa is of fundamental importance to achieving a tightly integrated training and research programme for science capacity building. The network of observatories, linked through common instrumentation, data access, and operation, form a “shared” facility and as such provide an important means of building science community. Data from the observatories provide the underpinning for much of the science supported by AfricaArray. Some of the observatories will be permanent, while others will be installed and operated on a temporary basis.

The scientific observatories are built around broadband seismic stations for recording earthquakes. The reason for this is because the initial focus of AfricaArray is on geophysics, and also because there is already a significant amount of seismic monitoring equipment operating in various parts of Africa pledged to AfricaArray. It is envisioned that the observatories will be equipped with additional monitoring equipment over time, such as GPS, meteorological, hydrologic and other environmental sensors.

The goal during the first phase of AfricaArray (2005-2007) is to establish a network of 20 to 30 permanent observatories spanning much of southern and eastern Africa. The placement of permanent observatories in many countries will be governed by the location of existing seismic stations that have been pledged to AfricaArray. Seismic equipment at many of these stations will be upgraded, the data will be formatted uniformly and archived, and access to the data will be streamlined.

During the second phase of AfricaArray (2008-2010), the network of permanent observatories will be expanded into other parts of Africa, and an emphasis will be placed on establishing temporary (flexible) networks of seismic stations, with a small station spacing, focused on specific targets of economic, societal or academic interest (e.g., fault systems, sedimentary basin, ultramafic intrusive). The first temporary network will be installed and operated in Cameroon during 2005-2007 to investigate the nature and origin of volcanism in the Cameroon Volcanic Line.