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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, June 25th, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
USGS, Conference Room A, Bldg 3,
Menlo Park, California

Tracking Mercury from Ore to Organism

Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation
In a Mine-Dominated Ecosystem

by Tom Suchanek, USGS Western Ecological Research Center

• Nearly 300 abandoned mercury mines and prospects are found in the California Coast Range-- the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine at Clear Lake, CA is one of them
• Clear Lake is one of the most mercury-contaminated lakes in the world, but fish and wildlife there are not as mercury-contaminated as might be expected
• Learn about mercury concentration in the Clear Lake water column and sediments, mercury bioaccumulation in the food web, and which fish have mercury-contamination that exceeds recommended levels for consumption

Video: Watch Lecture

June 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

July 30 -- USGS research activities at the Salton Sea -- a unique sea in transition along the Pacific Flyway -- 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, presented by USGS Salton Sea Science Office Director Lee Case

August 27 -- Geothermal Energy -- a discussion of hydrothermal resources describing power generation facilities at The Geysers Geothermal Area in northern California, presented by USGS scientist Colin Williams

September 24 -- The Loma Prieta Earthquake 20th Anniversary -- a discussion of San Francisco Bay Area earthquake studies, earthquake probability forecasts, and earthquake hazard mitigation research, presented by a scientist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program to maximize public awareness of earthquake hazards and risk

October 29 -- Coast Salish Native American Puget Sound Water Quality Survey -- 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, presented by USGS scientist Eric Grossman

November 19 -- Aleutian Island Mega-Earthquakes and Pacific Basin Tsunami Generation -- a discussion of Aleutian Island earthquake history, the generation of large earthquakes in that region, and resultant tsunamis affecting Pacific Basin shoreline areas, presented by USGS geologists Steve Kirby and David Scholl

December 17 -- CURRENTLY UNSCHEDULED -- possibly a USGS scientist working at the Alaska Volcano Observatory presenting a summary of the recent explosive activity at Redoubt Volcano

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.