USArray (Seismic and Magnetotelluric Observatory) was one of the three components of the Earthscope project, the other two components being the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) and the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). The components were funded by the National Science Foundation and were constructed, operated, and maintained as a collaborative effort with UNAVCO, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), and Stanford University, with contributions from several other national and international organizations.
A major goal of USArray was to collect detailed seismic images of the North American lithosphere. The data collected from USArray was integrated with geologic observations made on the Earth's surface to help determine the geologic history of North America, as well as to better understand that geologic processes that are at work today.[1][2][3]