The Government of Chile recently donated two cGPS units to the UWI Seismic Research Centre (SRC) which will be used to strengthen the monitoring of the Central Range Fault in Trinidad. The equipment donation was part of the Embassy of Chile’s ongoing commitment to assist the SRC with its seismic risk reduction activities in Trinidad and is also a follow up to a workshop hosted by the Embassy late last year entitled “Lessons drawn from the seismological experience in Chile and its application to Trinidad & Tobago”.
Dr. Joan Latchman, Director (Ag.), Seismic Research Centre receives cGPS equipment from Dr. Sergio Barrientos (right) Director National Seismological Institute of the University of Chile and H. E. Patricio Pradel (centre) Ambassador of Chile.
The donated Trimble NetR8 GPS kits which are valued upwards of US$10,000, are high precision instruments that will be permanently installed to collect millimetre position estimates. With these position estimates, it is possible to deduce the rates of tectonic movements. These instruments will be the genesis of the Trinidad Central Range Fault Observatory and will be used to monitor the movement along this fault. The measurements from these cGPS installations will enable the SRC to determine if stress is building within the fault system and make it possible to estimate the probability of when an event will occur and the magnitude of that event.
One of the donated Trimble NetR8 GPS receivers
Dr. David Rampersad, Director of the Office of Research Development and Knowledge Transfer, UWI, welcomed invitees to the Donation Ceremony, which was held at the UWI Seismic Research Centre office in St. Augustine. The feature address was delivered by His Excellency Patricio Pradel Ambassador of Chile. Other speakers included Ms Delia Chatoor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Dr. Joan Latchman and Mr. Lloyd Lynch of the Seismic Research Centre.
