Lecture Series
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USGS Public Lecture Series 2009 — CALIFORNIA
The USGS Evening Public Lecture Series is intended for a general public audience that may not be familiar with the scientific issues being discussed. The USGS provides remote access to the lecture series through live video streaming on the Internet, and on-demand access to archived lectures following each live event.
All USGS lectures listed take place at the Menlo Park Science Center, in Menlo Park, CA and can also be heard by remote access through the internet. [ directions and map ]
Click here for more information on the current lecture series schedule and how to access on-line.
19 November 2009
Aleutian Island Mega-Earthquakes and Pacific Basin Tsunami Generation
by USGS geologists Steve Kirby and David Scholl
A discussion of Aleutian Island earthquake history, the generation of large earthquakes in that region, and resultant tsunamis affecting Pacific Basin shoreline areas.
29 October 2009
Coast Salish Native American Puget Sound Water Quality Survey
by USGS scientist Eric Grossman
A presentation on the recent Coast Salish canoe journey which simultaneously collected water samples for USGS studies of Puget Sound water quality. This public lecture has been scheduled for late October to focus attention on cooperative activities involving Native Americans just prior to the annual November recognition of National Native American Heritage Month.
24 September 2009
The Loma Prieta Earthquake 20th Anniversary
by USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
A discussion of San Francisco Bay Area earthquake studies, earthquake probability forecasts, and earthquake hazard mitigation research, presented to maximize public awareness of earthquake hazards and risk
27 August 2009
Geothermal Energy
by USGS scientist Colin Williams
A discussion of hydrothermal resources describing power generation facilities at The Geysers Geothermal Area in northern California.
30 July 2009
USGS research activities at the Salton Sea — A unique sea in transition along the Pacific Flyway
by USGS Salton Sea Science Office Director Lee Case
An overview of science activities underway in the Salton Sea region involving multiple government agencies and conservation groups to support restoration of Salton Sea natural resources, including the sea's ability to sustain biological resources and associated social and economic values.
25 June 2009
Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation in Clear Lake, California
by Tom Suchanek, USGS Western Ecological Research Center
Over the past several decades, most studies of mercury contamination have focused on atmospheric deposition, primarily from coal-fired power plants and a variety of other lesser sources. However, in many regions of the world, mining is the source of significant mercury contamination. Mercury, gold, and silver mining in the western United States, especially in California and Nevada, has contaminated many aquatic ecosystems that support commercial and sport fisheries. Clear Lake is one of the most mercury-contaminated lakes in the world, with a local abandoned mine contributing an ongoing loading of ca. 325 kg of mercury to the lake each year.
28 May 2009
Global Volcanic Hazards Mitigation — The USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program
by USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory volcanologist John Pallister
The world's only volcano crisis response team, organized and operated by the USGS, can be quickly mobilized to assess and monitor hazards at volcanoes threatening to erupt. Since 1986, the team has responded to more than a dozen volcano crises as part of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP), a cooperative effort with the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development. The work of USGS scientists with VDAP has helped to save countless lives, and the valuable lessons learned are being used to reduce risks from volcano hazards in the United States. The strategy employed by VDAP to reduce loss of life and minimize economic disruption includes instrumental monitoring to detect the movement of molten rock toward the surface and thereby forecast eruptions, and assessments of volcano hazards and risk based on past eruptive events at a volcano.
30 April 2009
SOILS, CARBON, and Global exCHANGE
by Jennifer Harden, USGS Soil Scientist
USGS soil scientist Jennifer Harden presents a discussion of soils, Northern boreal forests, and carbon sequestration that will include an explanation of the carbon cycle and the importance of carbon sequestration, with examples from northern Alaska areas studied while researching Arctic changes during the International Polar Year. The presentation will include information about why soils aren't just for growing crops; what carbon has to do with global weather and climate changes; balancing tradeoffs between the carbon cycle, economic concerns, and the environment; and making prudent choices concerning everything from household decisions to national policies.