Quality Assurance Advisory Committee

The QAAC is an Advisory Committee that reports to the Data Services, PASSCAL, and GSN Standing Committees.

Terms run through the end of the year indicated in parentheses.

Current Members

updated 02/23/2022

Chair

• Sandvol, Eric (University of Missouri) (2024)

Vice Chair

• Herrmann, Robert (Saint Louis University) (2023)

Permanent Network Operator

• Wolin, Emily (USGS) (2023)
• Ruppert, Natalia (University of Alaska, Fairbanks) (2023)

Temporary Network Operators

• Porter, Ryan (Northern Arizona University) (2022)

Data Center Representatives

• Satriano, Claudio (IPGP) (2023)

Broader Scientific Community

• Moschetti, Morgan (USGS) (2022)
• Huang, Mong-Han (University of Maryland) (2023)

IRIS Staff Coordinator

• Sharer, Gillian (IRIS DS)

Ex Officio

• Carter, Jerry (IRIS DS)
• Anderson, Kent (IRIS PASSCAL)
• Mellors, Rob (DSSC Liaison)

Observers

• Busby, Bob (IRIS IS)

Charge to the Quality Assurance Advisory Committee (QAAC)

Last reviewed and approved 04/07/2021

The QAAC exists to improve the overall quality of seismic and other data collected and managed by IRIS by promoting the “IRIS Quality Principles for Data Collection, Distribution, and Use”. It advises IRIS on activities related to the quality of datasets collected and / or managed by IRIS. The QAAC also advises IRIS on the development and use of tools to measure data quality, and to enhance quality control feedback to network operators, thus encouraging high-quality, seismic datasets for the broad community. The advisory committee includes representatives from various aspects of research and applied seismology. The QAAC reports jointly to the Data Services, PASSCAL and GSN Standing Committees.

Membership

The membership of the QAAC will serve three-year terms and includes 2 representatives from each of the following four categories for a total of 8 members. The membership will be drawn from network operators and the seismological research community with qualifications specific to one or more of the following categories:

1. Permanent seismic network operators (drawn from the Global Seismic Network, US regional Networks, and International Networks)
2. Temporary network operators (e.g., PASSCAL and OBSIC)
3. Data Center Representatives (IRIS and FDSN) and
4. The broader scientific community

Ex-officio members will include one liaison from each of the Data Services, PASSCAL and GSN Standing Committees, as well as the Program Managers from Data Services, PASSCAL and GSN.

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Define the attributes of quality seismic and other data.
• Review the effectiveness and scientific utility of established metrics and identify new metrics needed to evaluate the quality of seismic and other data.
• Provides guidance as to how Quality Assurance information is made available to network operators and the users of data.
• Suggest improvements to quality assessment processes that enable optimal maintenance of seismological and other geophysical data collection networks.

Meetings will be held semiannually, usually by teleconference, with one face-to-face meeting to be held at the Fall AGU. Reports will be provided to the Data Services, PASSCAL and GSN Standing Committees. 

Meeting Minutes and Action Items