Western Region - Evening Public Lecture Series

2006 Video Archive

To view the recorded lectures requires the Macromedia Flash Player 8.0+. This plug-in is widely available across several platforms and browsers. If you don't have a Flash Player plug-in installed on your computer, you can download it from the Macromedia website.


January 26, 2006


Play Video
Serving California's Needs
HOW THE CALIFORNIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY IDENTIFIES AND MAPS NATURAL HAZARDS, PROMOTES THE STATE'S ECONOMY, AND PROTECTS PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
By George J. Saucedo and Keith L. Knudson, Geologists
  • Hear about the rich and productive 125-year history of the California Geological Survey (CGS)
  • Major emphases of CGS work are mapping the geology, assessing mineral resources, and reducing risk from natural hazards
  • CGS products and services enhance the quality of decisionmaking by local government, business, and the public
  • CGS cooperative programs with the USGS include Trinet and ShakeMaps for earthquakes, STATEMAP and SCAMP for geologic mapping
  • In October, CGS relocated their Bay Area office to the USGS in Menlo Park, incorporating the former USGS Map and Publication Sales (ESIC) and adding the full line of CGS products
Flyer: jan06flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)


February 23, 2006


Play Video

Science and Natural Resources
along La Frontera

By Floyd Gray, Geologist
  • Natural systems-water, geology, and wildlife-tend to cross the 1,900- mile-long arbitrary political border between Mexico and the U.S.
  • Rapid population growth on the U.S. side and in Mexican border cities is creating a variety of environmental, ecological, and human health problems
  • The San Pedro River, which flows from Mexico into Arizona, is now the most studied river in the U.S.
  • One goal of joint U.S.-Mexican studies is to combine and complete geologic mapping of the entire border at uniform scale and unit definitions
Flyer: feb06flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)


March 30, 2006


Play Video
The Great 1906 Earthquake
Lessons learned, lessons forgotten, and future directions in earthquake science
By Mary Lou Zoback, Seismologist (and Chair of the Steering Committee, 1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance)
  • The 1906 California disaster taught us that--
    • the San Andreas Fault is a continuous feature extending nearly the length of the State
    • earthquakes are a recurring process, not random events
    • shaking is most intense on "made land"
    • much of the damage to buildings is related to construction style and quality
  • The elastic-rebound theory came from studies of the 1906 event--how is this theory used today in forecasting earthquakes?
  • Why, so long after 1906, do we still have--
    • so many unreinforced masonry buildings?
    • development sited on "made land" and soft ground?
  • New understanding and new technology promise a bright future for earthquake science-- breakthroughs are inevitable
Flyer: mar06flyer.pdf (Acrobat PDF)


April 27, 2006


Play Video
California's Greatest Fault
How historical data from 1906 have shed light on the San Andreas Fault
By Carol S. Prentice, Geologist
  • What insights are gained from merging original 1906 observations and field notes with today's earthquake science?
  • Data collected during and after the catastropic 1906 earthquake prove to be essential to-
    • determine the fault's slip rate in the Fort Ross area,
    • map the fault through Peninsula housing developments, and
    • provide a better understanding of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Flyer: apr06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


May 25, 2006


Play Video
What Lies Beneath?
Concealed sedimentary basins and hidden oil under Silicon Valley
By Richard G. Stanley, Geologist
  • Before computers and cubicles there were orchards-- and a few oil wells, too
  • Learn about the "oil boom" in Los Gatos about 100 years ago
  • See how historical records from old oil wells, together with modern scientific studies, reveal the hidden geology beneath the urban landscape
  • Is there more oil to be found here?
Flyer: may06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


June 29, 2006


Play Video
Geology on Conveyor Belts
New ideas on Bay Area evolution from a decade of geologic mapping
By Russ Graymer, Geologist
  • What was the Bay Area like during the Age of Dinosaurs?
  • Learn about the distant origins of some rocks seen around the bay
  • Hear how the San Andreas fault system has rearranged the region.
  • Volcanoes in Berkeley?
  • 3-D geologic mapping yields new ideas about active Bay Area faults- what.s next?
Flyer: jun06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


July 27, 2006


Play Video
Uncovering Silicon Valley
Weaving a tale of three sedimentary basins
By Victoria E. Langenheim, Geophysicist
  • Geophysical probing reveals the geology under Santa Clara Valley
  • What does the new 3-D view tell us about the San Andreas fault system?
  • How does this affect earthquake hazards and ground-water resources?
  • Was the strong 1865 earthquake caused by a thrust fault beneath Cupertino?
  • Significant movement on the Silver Creek Fault may have partitioned the valley's ground-water resources
Flyer: jul06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


August 24, 2006


Play Video
Hidden Faults Under Silicon Valley
Do new discoveries change our view of Santa Clara Valley earthquake hazards?
By R. D. Catchings, Geophysicist
  • Seismic profiles have revealed the valley.s deep structure and previously unknown faults
  • Earthquakes and seismic reflection images suggest some reverse faults beneath the valley that are not seen at the surface
  • The disastrous 1994 Northridge earthquake occurred on a hidden fault like those now known to underlie Silicon Valley
  • Deep sedimentary basins on both sides of the valley can greatly amplify earthquake shaking
Flyer: aug06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


September 28, 2006


Play Video
Water Odysseys
Surface-water and ground-water flow in the Santa Clara Valley
By Randall T. Hanson, Research Hydrologist
  • What has deep drilling in the valley found about ground-water flow?
  • A new computer model improves our understanding of water-flow patterns
  • Learn how underground water makes the ground rise and fall--is the valley sinking?
  • Why is our ground water so remarkably clean?
  • Uncontrolled artesian wells were once a nuisance here-and may be again
Flyer: sep06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


October 26, 2006


Play Video
The Parkfield 2004 Earthquake
Lessons From the Best-Recorded Quake in History
By Andy Michael, Geophysicist
  • To record high-quality measurements close to a large earthquake, the right instruments have to be in the right place at the right time
  • Such a convergence happened, for the fi rst time ever, on September 28, 2004, when a magnitude 6 quake struck the San Andreas Fault near Parkfield, California
  • The fault at Parkfield is monitored by a dense and diverse network of instruments designed to record events before, during, and after a quake (the Parkfield Earthquake Prediction Experiment)
  • Parkfield was chosen for this experiment because a magnitude 6 earthquake had struck that area every two or three decades since at least 1857
  • New data from the 2004 event provide important lessons about earthquake processes, prediction, and the hazards assessments that underlie building codes and mitigation policies
Flyer: oct06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


November 16, 2006



Play Video

Drills, Spills, and Chills
The inside story on USGS estimates of Alaskan oil and gas resources
By Ken Bird and Rick Stanley, Geologists
  • See the basic elements of a petroleum system.where the oil comes from and where it goes
  • USGS resource assessments in Alaska have a long history and have changed over time
  • Learn how the newest and best scientifi c research methods are used to prepare oil and gas estimates
  • Find out what the USGS estimates really mean and how are they are applied to land-use decisions
  • The North Slope (including Prudhoe Bay, NPRA, and ANWR) and the Yukon Flats area provide contrasting case studies
Flyer: nov06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)


December 14, 2006


Play Video
The Mojave National Preserve
Geology and Water Shape Desert Plant Communities
By David Miller, Geologist and John Nimmo, Soil Hydrologist
  • One of the largest units in the National Park System, the Mojave National Preserve was established in 1994
  • The Preserve encompasses great sand dunes (including "singing sands"), young volcanic features, forests of Joshua trees, and fields of wildflowers
  • Maps of the surface geology can predict the distribution of vegetation types
  • How do the different ways soils accept rainwater affect plant communities?
  • Learn how USGS researchers are modeling the relations of geology, water, and desert plants
Flyer: dec06flyer.pdf (Adobe Acrobat PDF)



Note: The flyer's are in the PDF file format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. Download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.


USGS Public Events Calendar (Recorded Message) --- (650) 329-5000
For additional information on the USGS Evening Public Lecture Series please contact Amelia Barrales: abarrales2@usgs.gov or telephone (650) 329-5136.

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America home page. USAGov button U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://online.wr.usgs.gov/calendar/2006.html
Page Contact Information: abarrales2@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: Friday, 30-Mar-2007 12:07:06 EDT