earthquake and volcano monitoring systems

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This solicitation is for a Single Award Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract for Seismic Equipment. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) requires earthquake and volcano monitoring systems, including integrated systems and separate components (sensors and data acquisition units). The equipment will be used in the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), Global Seismographic Network (GSN), and USGS Volcano Program for monitoring, engineering, and research. The procurement follows FAR Part 12 (Commercial Items) and FAR Part 15 (Contracting by Negotiation) procedures.

• Equipment Type: New equipment only; no grey market or refurbished products. All items must be covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

• Components: Triaxial force-balance accelerometer, triaxial strong-motion seismometer, or triaxial broadband seismometer (sensor); Data Acquisition Unit (DAU); and software for communication.

• Software: Must be free of charge, vendor-supported, compatible with major operating systems, support continuous and triggered data acquisition, and include an Earthworm-compatible client module.

• Specifications: Detailed technical specifications are provided in the attached Excel spreadsheet titled "TestingSpecs2026".

• Compliance: Must comply with FISMA and Section 508 requirements.

• Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price, IDIQ.

• Period of Performance: Five-year ordering period (estimated 08/16/2026 - 08/15/2031), potentially adjusted based on award date.

• Maximum Contract Value: $30,000,000.00 over the five-year period.

• Guaranteed Minimum: $50,000.00 over the contract period.

• NAICS Code: 334513 (Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables).

• PSC Code: 6655 (Geophysical Instruments).

• Proposal Submission: Electronic mail only to thuot@usgs.gov by May 29, 2026, 15:00 PST. Maximum 50 pages (8.5x11, one-inch margins, 12pt font).

• Submission Components: Signed SF 1449, firm fixed-price proposal with individual pricing for each year of the ordering period, technical submission (product specs, literature, country of manufacture), past performance (3 recent, relevant contracts), and SAM UEI.

• Evaluation Factors: Technical Proposal, Equipment Testing, Past Performance, and Price. The Government will award to the responsible offeror whose offer is most advantageous, with factors other than price being significantly more important than price.

• Questions Due: March 25, 2026, 15:00 PST via email to thuot@usgs.gov.

• This acquisition is UNRESTRICTED.

• Offerors must be registered and active in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

• Attachment 1: TestingSpec2026

• Attachment 2: Section 889 FAR 52.204-24 and 52.204-26

• Attachment 3: SeismicRequirements2026

• Attachment 4: 140G0326R0001 Q&A pre-solicitation

Forms / Attachments / Pricing Sheets

This document contains detailed technical specifications and performance metrics for seismic monitoring equipment, specifically accelerometers and Data Acquisition Units (DAUs). It is intended for vendors to certify compliance with the stated requirements.

Strong-Motion Accelerometer Specifications:

• Defines requirements for clip-level, noise, corner frequencies, amplitude and sensitivity accuracy, documentation, temperature range, RFI susceptibility, and expected lifetime.

Broadband Accelerometer Specifications:

• Details requirements for sensitive axes, clip-level, noise levels (A+, A, B categories), corner frequencies, amplitude and phase accuracy, output signal, sensitivity, non-linear distortion, documentation, temperature range, RFI susceptibility, clip recovery, expected lifetime, control lines, and calibration input.

Data Acquisition Unit (DAU) Specifications:

• Outlines requirements for high-resolution channels, mass position channels, auxiliary inputs, sampling rates, simultaneity, effective bits (resolution), preamplifier gains, filters, non-linear distortion, gain/offset stability, ground currents, timing error, internal time reference, short-term storage, DAU recording capacity, triggered-event memory, trigger algorithms, data formats, data compression, telemetry packet size/latency, telemetry type (IP/TCP/IP/UDP/SEEDlink), firmware upgrades, external reset, expected lifetime, sensor input voltage, temperature range, documentation, control signals, state-of-health messaging, log files, and configuration/interface capabilities.

Power and Package Specifications:

• Specifies power consumption for DAUs and sensors, DAU to sensor power delivery, connector types (IP67/IP68), sensor connector pinout, environmental considerations, leveling and anchoring mechanisms, mass limits, sensor orientations, and installation requirements.

This document is crucial for vendors bidding on opportunities requiring seismic monitoring equipment. It clearly defines the technical performance and physical characteristics that the procured equipment must meet. Bidders must carefully review these specifications to ensure their proposed solutions comply with all 'Required' and 'Desired' metrics to be considered responsive and competitive.

Questions & Answers / Clarifications

This document provides responses to vendor questions regarding the "TestingSpecs2026_1.xlsx" and "SeismicRequirements2026_1 (2).pdf" documents, as well as general solicitation questions.

• Magnetic Response Testing: The method involves generating a sinusoidal voltage to create a magnetic field variation, then measuring the seismometer's output to determine magnetic sensitivity. This method is validated and described in Rembold et al. (2021).
• Incoherent Noise Testing: Sensors will be tested in an underground vault using a standard method (Sleeman et al., 2006) and analyzed with USGS software (SensorTestSuite; Kearns et al., 2018).
• NLNM Definition: The NLNM is a functional reference for self-noise estimates, not a strict definition of the lowest naturally occurring reference noise, as some stations exhibit spectral content below it.
• Data Format & Connection Type: Weather station data uses serial communications like SDI-12 or various RS standards.
• VPN Services: WireGuard 0.5.3 is approved for use. Other proprietary VPN services are acceptable if provided at no additional cost and have compatible security features.
• VDAP Requirements: The VDAP requirement for lightweight sensors is separate from the "A+" requirement; a Grade "B" sensor would meet the VDAP need.
• Awardee: The opportunity will be awarded to a single vendor.
• Testing Feedback: Feedback will be provided via a post-award debrief if requested; a written report of testing results will not be provided.
• Previous Testing Data: Information on previously tested broadband sensors and their classifications cannot be provided due to Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) signed during procurement testing.

Clarifies testing methodologies, equipment requirements, and administrative aspects of the solicitation. Vendors should note that feedback on testing results will be limited to post-award debriefs.

Form / Attachment / Pricing Sheet

This document contains two provisions: FAR 52.204-24 and FAR 52.204-26, which require offerors to represent their use of and/or provision of certain telecommunications and video surveillance equipment or services. These provisions are related to prohibitions outlined in Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act.

• FAR 52.204-24: Requires offerors to represent whether they will provide covered telecommunications equipment or services to the Government. If an offeror represents "will," they must provide specific disclosures regarding the equipment/services, including the entity that produced it, a description, and the proposed use.
• FAR 52.204-26: Requires offerors to represent whether they provide covered telecommunications equipment or services as part of their offered products or services, and whether they use such equipment or services. If an offeror represents "does" for the latter, they must provide specific disclosures similar to those in FAR 52.204-24.
• Definitions: Key terms such as "covered telecommunications equipment or services" and "reasonable inquiry" are defined by reference to clause 52.204-25.
• Procedures: Offerors are instructed to review the SAM.gov list of excluded parties.

Bidders must carefully review these provisions and provide accurate representations and disclosures as required. Failure to comply may impact their ability to be considered for the award. The specific details required in the disclosures are critical for proposal preparation.

Solicitation / RFP / RFQ

This document outlines a requirement by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) for earthquake and volcano monitoring systems. These systems, including integrated units and separate sensors/data acquisition units, are intended for use in the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), Global Seismographic Network (GSN), and the USGS Volcano Program. The equipment will support earthquake and volcano monitoring, engineering, research, and serve national, state, and local governments, emergency responders, and the public.

• Procurement of integrated systems or separate data acquisition units (DAUs) and sensors.

• Systems must be compatible with the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) and Global Seismographic Network (GSN).

• Specific requirements for low-noise broadband sensors, particularly those with an "A+" ranking for "Maximum Incoherent Noise", are critical for GSN operations.

• Some boreholes require sensors smaller than 6.1 inches in diameter with a hole-lock feature.

• USGS portable aftershock systems and volcano program require lightweight, low-power digitizers capable of streaming data via SEEDlink protocol and remote calibration.

• USGS volcano program and Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) require lightweight, integrated broadband and strong motion sensors for easy deployment.

• Desire for low-power digitizers capable of streaming SNMP-formatted state of health information and connecting weather stations directly.

• The document references an accompanying spreadsheet titled "TestingSpecs2026" for detailed specifications and requirements.

• Vendors offering "A+" grade broadband sensors that meet overall requirements are strongly encouraged.

• Proposals without "A+" grade broadband sensors will only be considered if no "A+" proposals meet the requirements.

• If multiple proposals contain "A+" grade broadband sensors, the selection will be based on the proposal that best meets or exceeds other requirements, offering a full range of seismic instrumentation.

• Not explicitly stated in the provided text, but the focus on specific technical requirements suggests a need for specialized vendors.

• The "TestingSpecs2026" spreadsheet is a critical attachment for understanding the full scope of specifications.