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Technical Training Programme

Sponsor of Technical Training Course | Objectives of the Training Course | Proposed Duration of the Course | Proposed Course Description | Inquiries

 
Sponsor of Technical Training Course

The technical training of personnel to operate and maintain seismic equipment for AfricaArray shall be performed by the Council for Geoscience (CGS) both at the CGS's offices in Pretoria and in the field at selected AfricaArray stations. The Council for Geoscience has been training station operators from many African countries over the past few years in the topics outlined below. Certificates are issued when the station operators complete the training course.

The majority of the course shall consist of a series of practical exercises, during which the students may obtain hands-on training and thus familiarize themselves with the equipment.

Objectives of the Training Course

The objectives of the technical training course is to present both a theoretical and practical introduction to the seismological instrumentation that shall be used at AfricaArray stations.

Proposed Duration of the Course

The proposed course will be four (4) weeks in total.

This period shall be divided as follows:

  • 3 weeks at the offices of the CGS
  • 1 week each at the station sites with the respective station operators.
Proposed Course Description

The course shall be structured in such a way as to expose the student to both the theoretical and practical aspects of a seismological station, such as:

  • Site preparation
  • Instrumentation
  • Installation
  • Calibration
  • Operation

These aspects shall be covered by the following subjects:

  • Site selection
  • Vault construction
  • Computer literacy
  • Electronics
  • A/D converters
  • Seismic sensors (short period and broad band)
  • Seismic noise reduction
  • Lightning protection
  • Data loggers
  • Event trigger set up
  • Communication equipment/software
  • Calibration equipment
  • Backup devices
  • Data acquisition software
Inquiries

For more information about the technical training programme and how to apply please contact Dr. Gerhard Graham at gerhardg@geoscience.org.za.