Western Region - Evening Public Lecture Series

The USGS Evening Public Lecture Series events are free and are intended for a general public audience that may not be familiar with the science being discussed. Our speakers are encouraged to thoroughly explain the subject matter being presented, and to define any words or terms that may be unfamiliar to those not having a background or familiarity with the material being presented.

Lectures are held at the USGS Menlo Park Science Center in Building 3, 2nd floor conference room A, Menlo Park, California. Click on Campus Map for building location and directions.

Thursday, November 19, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
USGS, Conference Room A, Bldg 3,
Menlo Park, California

Geohazards in the Aleutian Islands

Great Earthquakes, Great Waves, and Great Volcanic Explosions!

by Steve Kirby, Geophsicist, and Dave Scholl, Scientist Emeritus

The Aleutian Islands are discussed with respect to geology, climate change, and the fates of sediments produced by mountain building and glaciation
These islands, occupied by maritime indigenous cultures known as the Aleuts for 9,000 years, lie over an active crustal subduction zone spawning seven great earthquakes since 1895, resulting in several destructive transoceanic tsunamis
Over a dozen catastrophic volcanic eruptions have occurred during the time of the Aleuts, forcing cultural separation and differences in Inuit and Aleut languages
Continued research promises to uncover the Holocene prehistory of such events and aid in future forecasting of mega-earthquake probabilities.

November 2009 Flyer (Acrobat PDF)

Audio Preview

Upcoming 2009 Public Lecture Schedule

Monthly lectures are usually scheduled for the last Thursday evening of each month during most of the year but are occasionally presented on the preceding Thursday evening to accommodate our speakers. Also, the November and December lectures are scheduled earlier in the month to avoid conflicting with speaker and customer plans during the holiday season.

Schedule subject to change

December 10 --The new and improved online version of The National Map by Mark DeMulder

USGS Public Events Calendar (Recorded Message) --- (650) 329-5000 For additional information on the USGS Evening Public Lecture Series please contact Amelia Barrales or telephone (650) 329-5136.