Quantum Gravity Sensor for HVO

This is a Request For Information - This synopsis is for information and planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government. No contract will be awarded as a result of this Sources Sought announcement. The United States Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and Grants is soliciting information from qualified sources; the results of this announcement will be evaluated to determine if there are businesses capable of performing the proposed work.

The US Geological Survey, Office of Acquisition and Grants seeks responses from vendors that possess the capability to supply Qty. 1 Quantum Gravity Sensor.

USGS, Hawaii Volcano Observatory requires an instrument that that perform the following functions: (1) absolute gravity measurement at the µGal level, (2) automated Continuous Data Acquisition for several months with no long-term drift, (3) excellent immunity to ground vibrations thanks to an active compensation, (4) rapid and easy set up and operation, with the instrument ready to measure within 1h of arrival at the measurement site (unlike free-fall-type instruments, there is no laser alignment nor mechanical assembly, no preliminary pumping, and no superspring needed), (5) compact and transportable sensor, and (6) station-to-station repeatability of the absolute measurement within a few mGal.

The magnitude of measurable time-varying gravity changes due to volcanic processes are between a few and a few hundred mGal (1 mGal = 10-8 ms-2)-between one part in 106 and one part in 108 of the standard gravity on Earth (g = 9.8 ms-2). High-precision gravimeters used to detect these small signals come in two varieties, relative and absolute. Relative gravimeters measure spatial differences in the gravity field between pairs of stations, or temporal differences at a single point with respect to the gravity value at an arbitrary starting time. Relative gravimeters are subject to nonlinear measurement drift, making them unsuitable for long-term monitoring. Conversely, absolute gravimeters measure the actual value of the gravity acceleration at the observation point, and are drift-free. An absolute quantum gravimeter (AQG) is required by the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Science Center to measure continuous time-varying gravity changes associated with active volcanism in Hawai'i, following the devastating 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano. The gravimeter is required because of its unique ability to measure the absolute (as opposed to relative) value of gravitational acceleration at a resolution that is sufficient to detect the small gravity signals that occur at active volcanoes. The instrument will additionally be used to establish a gravity calibration network on the Island of Hawai¿i for calibrating relative gravimeters.

For further information, interested parties may contact the Contracting Officer, Charlan Fejarang at cjfejarang@usgs.gov by the due date, April 26, 2021.