Some Thoughts on the Earthquake Science Experimental Site ─ The Underground Cloud Map 1

The Western Yunnan Earthquake Predication Test Site set up jointly by the China Earthquake Administration, the National Science Foundation Commission of America, and United States Geological Survey has played an important role in development of early earthquake research work in China. Due to various objective reasons, most of the predicted targets in the earthquake prediction test site have not been achieved, and the development has been hindered. In recent years, the experiment site has been reconsidered, and renamed the “Earthquake Science Experimental Site” . Combined with the current development of seismology and the practical needs of disaster prevention and mitigation, we propose adding the “Underground Cloud Map” as the new direction of the experimental site. Using highly repeatable, environmentally friendly and safe airgun sources, we could send constant seismic signals, which realizes continuous monitoring of subsurface velocity changes. Utilizing the high-resolution 3-D crustal structure from ambient noise tomography, we could obtain 4-D ( 3-D space + 1-D time) images of subsurface structures, which we termed the “ Underground Cloud Map ” . The “Underground Cloud Map ” can reflect underground velocity and stress changes, providing new means for the earthquake monitoring forecast nationwide, which promotes the conversion of experience-based earthquake prediction to physics-based prediction.