January 29, 2009

EXPLORING MARS: Geology, Climate Change and Prospects for Past Life

• Data from a recent polar lander, two still active rovers
  and three spacecraft in orbit are changing our
  perceptions about how Mars evolved. What do
  these new data imply for the prospects of past and present life?

Flyer: jan09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

February 19, 2009
* Special Guest Lecture *

A lecture by Martha A. Sandweiss on her latest book -

Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line"

• After leading one of the four great surveys of the western U.S., Clarence King was appointed to be the first Director of the U.S. Geological Survey in 1879. For thirteen years he lived a double life-- as the celebrated white explorer, geologist and writer Clarence King, and as a black Pullman porter and steel worker named James Todd. The fair, blue-eyed son of a wealthy China trader passed across the color line, revealing his secret to his black common-law wife, Ada Copeland, only on his deathbed.

February 26, 2009

PETROLEUM IN THE ARCTIC:

Geology, Climate, and National Interests

• For better or worse, technological advances and diminishing opportunities elsewhere make the Arctic increasingly attractive to oil and gas exploration. Retreating polar ice, shifting ecosystems, and heightened development potential are vital issues to the nations of the Arctic, to petroleum companies, and to all concerned about the region's fragile environments.

Flyer: feb09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

March 26, 2009

Can our Western Forests Take the Heat?!

Climatic change and the future of forests in the western United States

• Tree death rates have more than doubled over the last few decades in old-growth forests of our western states, possibly reflecting increasing temperatures, with potentially serious consequences for wildlife, fire risks, and the global carbon cycle
• Rising regional temperatures have lengthened the summer drought, likely stressing trees and leading to higher death rates
• Is this alarming trend a harbinger of larger, more abrupt changes in our forests?

Flyer: mar09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

April 30, 2009

SOILS, CARBON, and Global exCHANGE

• Studying Arctic Changes during the International Polar Year
• Why soils aren't just for growing crops
• What does carbon have to do with global weather and climate?
• Balancing tradeoffs between the carbon cycle, econoic concerns, and the environment
• Making choices-- from household decisions to national policies

Flyer: apr09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

May 28, 2009

International "Volcano Diplomacy"

Rapid response team prevents crises from becoming disasters

• The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) working with foreign counterparts responds to international volcanic crises to reduce risk and save lives
• Since 1986, VDAP scientists have responded to 24 major crises, built volcano monitoring infrastructure in 12 countries, and helped save tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions in property
• Recent examples from Colombia and Indonesia provide success stories of eruption forecasting and disaster prevention
• Hear about insights into the challenges, tensions, and rewards of global volcano science with humanitarian and diplomatic objectives
• Lessons learned from VDAP are applied in the United States and elsewhere to reduce the loss of life and minimize economic disruption from volcanic hazards

June 25, 2009

Tracking Mercury from Ore to Organism

Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation In a Mine-Dominated Ecosystem

• 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

Flyer: jun09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

July 30, 2009

Restoring California's "Inland Sea"
Status of efforts to restore the Salton Sea

• The Salton Sea is California's largest lake and has a surface elevation about 230 feet below sea level
• The Salton Sea is a terminal lake - it has no outlets, inflows are principally from agricultural drainage, and its salinity not as mercury-contaminated is about 30% greater than the Pacific Ocean
• This "inland sea", a critical stop for migratory birds on the Pacific and Central Flyways, is used used by more than 400 species of birds
• Proposed water transfers will result in loss of aquatic aquatic and wetland habitat, increased salinity, and degraded regional air quality quality unless mitigation actions are taken

Flyer: jul09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

August 27, 2009

The Future of Geothermal Energy
a discussion of present opportunities and future challenges

• A new USGS assessment of our Nation.s geothermal resources identifies favorable areas for energy development
• Can geothermal energy help satisfy the growing need for .clean. energy sources?
• Seven western states are currently generating electricity from geothermal resources
• Emerging technologies may dramatically increase the potential for geothermal energy extraction

Flyer: aug09flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)

September 24, 2009

Meeting the Challenge of the Loma Prieta Earthquake

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake ended decades of seismic tranquility in the San Francisco Bay region. It was considered then . as well as now . to be a wake-up call for the region to prepare for potentially even more devastating earthquakes. How well is the Bay Area prepared for the next large earthquake?

• Learn what scientists now think happened during the Loma Prieta earthquake
• How did this destructive event change scientific thinking and influence Bay Area earthquake engineering?
• Future large Bay Area earthquakes are inevitable . are we prepared?

October 29, 2009

Paddling for a Purpose in a Troubled Sea
Sampling the Salish Sea During Tribal Canoe Journeys

• Deteriorating water quality in Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia is causing population declines in valued species such as salmon, orcas, and a number of sea birds
• USGS scientists and the Coast Salish Peoples are blending science and tradition to sample water quality in ancestral waters along canoe routes during annual Tribal Journeys
• Water sampling will identify the extent and likely causes of poor water quality, possibly related to changes in land use and changing climate conditions
• Studying Puget Sound water quality is crucial for making informed decisions about balancing the needs of coastal ecosystems and human livelihood

November 19, 2009

Geohazards in the Aleutian Islands
Great Earthquakes, Great Waves, and Great Volcanic Explosions!

• 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.

December 10, 2009

A New Generation of Maps
Topographic Maps for the 21st Century

• December 5 marks the 125th Anniversary of the popular USGS topographic map, used by engineers and surveyors, industry, academia, and outdoor enthusiasts for reliably accurate information
• Starting December 3 the new US Topo maps will be available free on the Web at the USGS Store: http://store.usgs.gov. Each USGS Topo quadrangle is constructed in GeoPDF format from key Layers of geographic data found in The National Map This new technology enables richer content, providing the user with more than a standard map
• The National Map provides a continuous evolution and incorporation of additonal data layers. For more information: http://nationalmap.gov